Nye County deputy who shot at unarmed suspect won’t be charged

A Nye County Sheriff’s Office deputy will not be charged in the Feb. 26 shooting that led to his arrest, the Nye County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday afternoon.

Deputy James Ramos, 47, was arrested and booked into the Nye County Detention Center after he fired one bullet toward an unarmed suspect who was fleeing arrest near a Walmart in Pahrump, the Sheriff’s Office has said. Police said nobody was injured.

The deputy faced charges of assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a weapon where someone might be injured. The agency added that he violated internal policy by firing at the unarmed suspect.

But Nye County District Attorney Chris Arabia said Ramos lacked criminal intent when he shot toward the person. Arabia said Ramos was doing his job and serving the community late at night when the shooting occurred.

“It all boils down to intent in this case, and I just don’t see any malicious or corrupt intent, so I don’t think prosecuting Deputy Ramos would be the right thing to do,” Arabia said in a statement. “Regardless of whether or not he made a mistake with respect to police procedures, I don’t think it’s something that rises to the level of a crime.”

Ramos was placed on administrative leave after the shooting. Reached by phone Tuesday, Sheriff Sharon Wehrly said the deputy remained on leave. She said her agency is still conducting an internal investigation.

Contact Dalton LaFerney at dlaferney@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0288. Follow @daltonlaferney on Twitter.