Inquiry under way for Las Vegas officers stopped in Arizona
Two Metropolitan Police Department officers are on paid leave and under internal investigation after being pulled over for speeding last month in a marked patrol car in Arizona while they were supposed to be on duty in Las Vegas.
Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn confirmed Monday that officers Brad Gallup and Jake Grunwald have been relieved of their regular duties while the investigation is ongoing.
Police spokesman Sgt. John Sheahan said the officers work in the Enterprise Area Command. The investigation began Jan. 19, the day of the traffic stop.
Flynn said the officers were stopped in Kingman, Ariz., by a local law enforcement agency for speeding and because it was suspicious for a Las Vegas police car to be in the area. He said the officers were not cited.
It was unclear why the officers were in Kingman, about 100 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Flynn said the department is taking the matter seriously. The officers face several policy violations, including neglect of duty and abandonment of their post, he said.
"We’re aware of the situation," he said. "The fact the officers were relieved of their duties shows the seriousness of this offense."
Flynn said he did not know how fast the officers were traveling, the location where they were stopped or which police agency pulled them over. The stop was made in the morning.
The investigation will be completed within 90 days, Flynn said.
A spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety said his agency did not have a record of the traffic stop.
Calls to the Mohave County sheriff’s office and the Kingman Police Department were not returned Monday afternoon.
In 2009, Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie implemented new driving policies in an attempt to change the department’s "culture" after several on-duty officers died in traffic collisions. Some officers involved in the crashes were speeding and were not wearing seat belts.
Officers were restricted from driving more than 20 mph over posted speed limits, except in vehicle pursuits. The amount of training officers receive in their first five years doubled. Officers also were required to wear seat belts in most circumstances.
Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.