Latest news with #LasVegasMetroPoliceDepartment
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump pardons GOP fraudster who paid for plastic surgery with slain cop memorial fund
Donald Trump has pardoned a disgraced Nevada Republican who spent part of the $70,000 raised to erect a memorial of a slain police officer on plastic surgery procedures. Michele Fiore, 54, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The 54-year-old former Las Vegas City councilwoman and state lawmaker, who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was due to be sentenced May 14. The pro-gun, anti-vaccine advocate who has been styled by the media as ' Lady Trump ' expressed her 'eternal' gratitude to the president after she was granted a full and unconditional pardon Wednesday. Fiore accused the federal government and 'select media outlets' of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to 'target and dismantle' her life in a lengthy Facebook statement on Thursday, which was then removed but archived by The Nevada Independent. 'Today, I stand before you — not just as a free woman, but as a vindicated soul,' she said. 'For nearly a decade, I endured relentless persecution by a federal machine determined to break me.' According to the indictment, Fiore's criminal scheme unfolded over a seven-month period between July 2019 and January 2020, while serving on the Las Vegas City Council. Fiore had reportedly raised more than $70,000 for the statue of Las Vegas Metro Police Department officer Alyn Beck, who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty. Court records showed a private real estate company actually paid for the statue, which was unveiled in January 2020. Instead, the MAGA-aligned conspiracy theorist who once said that cancer is 'a fungus' that can be cured by flushing saltwater through the body, spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter's wedding, prosecutors said. 'Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets,' federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar said. FBI agents in 2021 subpoenaed records and searched Fiore's home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending. In a statement, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon 'reckless' and a 'slap in the face' to law enforcement officers. Fiore, who does not have a law degree, was appointed as a judge in deep-red Nye County in 2022 shortly after she lost her campaign for state treasurer. She was elected last June to complete the unexpired term of a judge who died but had been suspended without pay amid her legal troubles. Pahrump is an hour's drive west of Las Vegas. In her statement Thursday, Fiore also said she plans to return to the bench next week. Nye County said in an email to the Associated Press that it is awaiting an update from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline on Fiore's current suspension. The news agency said it sent emails seeking comment to the commission, as well as Fiore's lawyer. Fiore served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022. While serving as a state lawmaker, Fiore gained national attention for her support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon, in 2016. Prior to her political career, Fiore co-wrote, produced, and starred in Siren, a 2006 film about Storm Fagan — played by Fiore — an 'ordinary overweight middle-aged wife and mom' whose 'dream of being a rock star still weighs heavy on her soul,' according to an IMDb synopsis. The Independent has reached out to the White House for more information.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘People need to wake up': Father of 4 killed in southwest Las Vegas motorcycle crash
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A Las Vegas man killed on his way to work, marks the second motorcycle death in a week in Clark County. Family and friends identified Jordon Dodder, 37, as the motorcyclist in Wednesday morning's crash. 'People need to wake up, pay attention to the roads, to the signs,' Jennifer Breeden, a friend, said. Dodder was described as an amazing father, a devoted partner, and a proud veteran. The 37-year-old's life was tragically cut short when he was killed by a car that police said ran a stop sign. 'Not well at all,' Kathleen Brown said of how her sister was doing. 'He was her person. He completed her. They were perfect together.' Brown flew into Las Vegas to support her sister Kelly and her four nieces and nephews during this tragic time. 'She was packing their lunches and getting ready, and she got a phone call from someone that he works with that drove past the accident site, and he said he thought it was Jordon's bike,' Brown said. Deadly crash closes intersection in Spring Valley Officers responded Wednesday at around 5:30 a.m. to a crash on Russell and Lindell roads. According to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Dodder was driving his 2013 Harley Davidson west on Russell Road when a car hit him at the intersection of Lindell Road. Police said the car failed to stop at the stop sign and the driver of that vehicle reportedly didn't show signs of impairment. Breeden and Jasmine Roofe started a GoFundMe for Kelly Dodder. They've been friends with her for about 30 years. 'When you're behind the wheel, that is such a massive weapon, that people don't realize can just take your life like that,' Breeden said. Kelly Dodder teaches at Mannion Middle School and was awarded Educator of the Year for CCSD 10 years ago. To their friends, both Kelly and Jordon were dedicated to each other. 'You can tell by how much they loved each other – they were really and really in love,' Jasmine Roofe said of her friends. It is unclear at the moment if the driver who hit Jordon Dodder will face charges. There have been 52 fatal crashes in the Las Vegas Metro Police Department's jurisdiction so far this year. At this same time last year, there were 48 fatalities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
When Police Bought Teslas, It Blew Up in Their Faces
A little over a year on the market, drivers have been finding all kinds of uses for Cybertrucks. They've turned out to be handy paperweights, and they make lovely snowman, as well as a nice place to store your eggs. One anonymous patron is hoping they make great police cruisers as well, after the Las Vegas Metro Police Department announced it acquired ten of the infamous EVs via a generous donation. While the majority will be fitted for light patrol work, at least one will be fitted out as a SWAT vehicle, the LVMPD said. For its part, the police department is confident the new fleet will go over well, with LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill calling them "badass." "The cop inside will be safe no matter what, it will stop bullets," McMahill boasted. "This is also a tremendous recruitment tool." McMahill's faith in the EV to stop bullets is laudable, especially given the cybertruck windshield's strange habit of shattering when wiped with a cloth, nevermind actual gunfire. Maybe he's right to be confident — after seven recalls in just over a year, one would hope Tesla has worked out all the kinks. The Vegas Sheriff's attitude is a notable break from his fellow cops across the country, whose experiments using Teslas have failed spectacularly. Nowhere has that been more apparent than Nevada's western brother, California. Following governor Gavin Newsom's statewide mandate to transition all California vehicles to zero-emission, a number of departments have deployed various Tesla models to their fleets. The results range from mild inconveniences to outright dysfunction. In Menlo, California, police chief David Norris noted that Tesla's are far from the "patrol cars of the future." A report on the use of the vehicles noted that officers liked the acceleration, steering, and speed of the EVs, but found significant issues as soon as the cruisers had to go offroad. Their size is also a cause of concern for gadget-laden first responders. "The equipment overhangs the passenger seat making it nearly unusable," the report reads. "In particular, the passenger seat space would not allow training officers to comfortably sit next to a trainee for a 12-hour shift, preventing field training for new officers. The rear seats provide very little room for anyone detained or transported in the back of the car." Meanwhile, Ukiah Police Chief Cedric Crook told SF Gate that "I'm not ready to put an officer in a Tesla." Evidently, the rear seats are only big enough to fit one mirandized passenger at a time, and there were major concerns over charging, especially while transporting arrestees. Ukiah's Model 3s will instead serve as transport vehicles for administrative staff, after a lengthy six-month modification due to the lack of auto shops with knowledge of outfitting Teslas for emergency use. A little farther north, police in Spokane, Washington found that outfitting Tesla Model Ys for duty was a mixed bag, as adding a laptop mount obscures the EV's touchscreen dashboard. The vehicle's distinctive design also foiled any rear-cabin modifications for transporting arrestees, while larger officers struggled with the Y's lacking leg room. Only time will tell whether Las Vegas will have any more luck with its shiny new Cybertrucks. If their performance in civilian hands is any indication, Vegas police might be in for a bumpy ride. More on Cybertrucks: The Cybertruck Appears to Be More Deadly Than the Infamous Ford Pinto, According to a New Analysis
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Las Vegas Police Will Roll Hard In Cybertrucks
Read the full story on Backfire News To the shock, dismay, and even bemusement of many, Las Vegas Metro Police Department recently announced it's adding a fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks to its motor pool. While some will dismiss this as a crazy kind of think one would expect out of Sin City, others believe it's a sign of things to come with other law enforcement announcement about the Cybertrucks being added to the police fleet was made by LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill during the State of the Department address on February 25. It will be the largest fleet of all-electric trucks used by a police department in the country, or at least that's the claim. We don't know of another one that's larger, so that could be true. Not only will the Teslas be used for patrolling around the city, some will be used by the SWAT team. Not only will the Cybertrucks bring cutting-edge tech to the department, Sheriff McMahill said they'll provide greater protection to the rank and file members. 'The cop inside will be safe no matter what, it will stop bullets,' he said. While it's true the stainless steel body panels on a Cybertruck will stop some bullets, especially more common rounds, some higher-powered or faster ammunition has been shown as able to penetrate. In other words, they're not quite as armored as something like a BearCat, but they also don't cost nearly as much. The department did say the Cybertrucks will be used in concert with the semi-autonomous drones already in use with shot-spotting tech. The plan is to continue expanding the use of that technology, although it's not entirely clear how the all-electric pickups will help with that objective. Among the objections to adding Cybertrucks to LVMPD is the cost. But Sheriff McMahill made it clear they were all paid for by a 'very generous donation' by an anonymous person. Still, the use of EVs in policing is a controversial topic. Sheriff McMahill believes the Cybertrucks will help with recruiting and 'inject humanity' into how the community views cops. We think this could be the early edge of a trend of law enforcement agencies adopting Cybertrucks for at least some duties. Many are probably eagerly watching to see what LVMPD and others experience before they too will take the plunge. Source: LVMPD, KWTX Images via LVMPD
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Las Vegas woman stabbed 26 times in domestic attack survives
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A woman survived after being stabbed 26 times by her boyfriend in a domestic violence incident. 'I have to talk about that because I'm still alive. I'm here and I have to talk about that,' Edina told 8 News Now. She told 8 News Now that she only wanted to be identified by her first name. Her left hand is covered in a bandage from the stabbing on the night of Jan. 16 at an apartment complex in the 3100 block of Tarpon Drive near Tropicana and Hacienda avenues. 'All the doctors and the nurses come in and everybody told me, 'Oh my God. This is a miracle. You are alive.' I'm like, why? What happened,' she recalled. The wounds serve as a reminder. 'I feel so much better now. I can take a shower now. He almost cut my ring finger,' she said. Edina had arrived at her apartment after a 12-hour shift of cleaning houses. She said her boyfriend, who lived with her, was acting weird. 'I'm so mad because I don't know why he was doing this because he knows I love him, and I know he loves me,' Edina said. She went to bed and then he began stabbing her multiple times in the stomach. She used her hands to fight him off and then escaped the apartment. Her yelling caught the attention of a neighbor who showed up with a gun. According to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, her boyfriend died of a self-inflicted wound. SWAT and crisis negotiators responded and when SWAT entered the couple's apartment, they found the man's body. Man dead, woman stabbed in southeast Las Vegas valley barricade Edina spent about three weeks at Sunrise Hospital. 'They told me he stabbed me 26 times. I'm like what?' Edina said. She is staying at Steve Csiki's house. He met her through the close-knit Las Vegas Hungarian community. Csiki said he couldn't believe she survived. 'Everybody in the hospital told her in the hospital you are one of the blessed ones because [there were] multiple stabs in the stomach. Cutting hands left, right. Obviously, he tried to cut her throat,' Csiki said. Edina has started physical therapy. She said she plans to move back to Hungary after living in the United States for 10 years and expressed gratitude to the man who showed up with a gun and called 911. 'I want to thank that guy who saved my life because if he's not coming. I'm dead,' Edina said. A GoFundMe was set up to help Edina return to Hungary. You can find the account by searching under 'Help Edina Rebuild her Life after Tragedy.' Help is available via the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) and the Domestic Violence Resource Center at 775-329-4150. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
