As a sort of general Las Vegas update, a year has passed since Erik Scott was shot by police outside the high end Summerlin Costco store.
Erik was a concealed handgun license holder in a state where open carry is allowed. Erik was also a West Point graduate, with a Masters from Duke, former tank Captain in the United States Army and one of the best Medtronics salesman in Las Vegas. He was with his girlfriend and they were buying things, as they were moving in together. He purchased his Costco card when he first arrived at the store as he was not a member.
The Summerlin Costco is a store that had no signs against carrying a gun in the store open, concealed or otherwise.
A security person for the store questioned him about his gun, but did not ask him to leave, after having seen it from Erik bending over. Erik may have gotten all second amendment on the security person, who then went back and called the police saying that they had a "green beret" in their store with a gun acting strangely and tearing up merchandise.
The police responded with 13 units, a police helicopter and 2 ambulances.
Erik and his girlfriend continued to shop not realizing that their world was about to end.
The police asked the Costco to announce that there was a bomb scare at the building and everyone needed to leave.
Everyone including Erik and his girlfriend peaceably filed out of the building as ordered. The security person pointed out Erik to the police who walked out behind him.
Once outside among a crowd of shoppers that numbered about forty. A policeman from behind him and with out any other warning drew his gun and tapped him on his shoulder and shouted "Freeze". Two other officers drew their weapons and shouted other commands such as "drop your gun" or "hands in the air" At this point Erik was surrounded by police all with their guns pointed at him. Erik had his blackberry in his hand. At this point the police said that Erik drew his gun on them and fearing for their lives, they all shot at Erik. From the tapping on the shoulder to the last bullet being fired was about three seconds.
Had Erik not been there or their aim had been bad, they would have shot each other or many of the people who saw the incident.
Seven bullets were fired, all striking and mortally wounding Erik. Five of the bullets were fired while Erik was on the ground.
Witnesses saw the gun or saw a blackberry depending on who you talked to. One physician wanted to aid Erik as he was dieing, but did not, as he was afraid of the police he had just seen kill a man for what he saw was no reason.
Erik was handcuffed and rolled over. No treatment was given until he was in the ambulance. Once in the ambulance, an attendant discovered that he was carrying a gun and it was reported over the radio. The ambulance attendant may have given powerful drugs to Erik to try and revive him (I'm still a little fuzzy on this) while he was in their care. Erik took prescription pain medication for a injury, Erik was 38 and was described as "buff"
Erik's girlfriend was taken to an office inside the store and held there for many hours. Erik or his girlfriend were never charged with any crime.
During this time, the police searched Erik's apartment with out a warrant, under the reason that they needed to secure it, since he was dead. (it was locked already) The police took several items from the apartment. Erik had several other guns in his apartment.
It was later reported that Erik was carrying two guns. One which was found at the scene (the one he drew on the officers) and one which was discovered in the ambulance.
Erik died and it was initially reported that the Las Vegas police had successfully stopped a "crazed" gunman from killing everyone at the Summerlin Costco.
Later as Erik's family got into town, the story changes as the word got out that Erik was a West Point graduate, was licensed to carry a gun and was not one to cause trouble. Everyone wanted to see the video images that were available from the store's cameras and from the police. In an unusual move, that information was withheld by the police pending the inquest.
Rather than the video recorders being immediately taken into custody, they remained in Costco's possession for a day or so. Then rather than sending the recorders to the FBI's computer forensics laboratory for analysis, there were passed on to a private firm in Burbank, California, a place that the police department's private security camera company knew about.
The inquest was finally held and in a process where the family has no input or cannot present any evidence. The District Attorney effectively presented a drug crazed individual, who had beaten his ex wife, drew on three officers who already had guns pointed at him and was killed. They showed evidence he was illegally carrying one of his two guns, as you must be licensed for each gun you carry and one of the guns, he was not licensed to carry.
The jury found that it was a justifiable shooting by the police, just as juries have done in the last 200 other police shootings in Las Vegas dating all the way back to the 1970's.
The video recorded evidence? There was none. The police had no video and the Costco video wasn't working that day, as it was out of order.
Since then the family has filed lawsuits against Costco and the City and County of Las Vegas. Those are working their way through the courts. Citizens were outraged enough to force small changes in the inquest system. Changes that the police union has vowed not to cooperate with. The County has recently been released from the suit by a judge.
A small number of people began showing support Erik Scott ribbons on their cars. They seemed to come under the watchful eye of the police, as Erik's girlfriend was ticketed at least twice in one week.
One of the police officers involved in the shooting was arrested for selling a gun to a felon, the other two received national police officer awards.
Erik Scott's family scattered his ashes from a sail boat near Dana Point California, July 10, 2011 on the anniversary of his murder.
The Las Vegas police have come under a more watchful eye of the press in Las Vegas, who are now less likely as before, to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Recently a videographer was beaten by a police officer for videotaping an arrest from his front yard, that video tape did not disappear, and it looks as if that officer will be fired. He had previously killed two people in his five years on the force. One was a mentally ill 15 year old boy whose mom called police, as he wouldn't take his medicine. The inquest process also found those shootings justified. That mom is also now sueing the Las Vegas police along with the videographer.
I will see if I can find a link to that story that does not involve the Las Vegas Journal.
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