‘Pattern of unlawful detentions’: Las Vegas police sergeant indicted
A grand jury has indicted a Metropolitan Police Department officer charged with oppression and accused of a “pattern of unlawful detentions,” prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Jobe said the charges against Sgt. Kevin Menon included oppression under the color of office and battery.
“We were here today ready to cross-examine witnesses,” defense attorney Austin Barnum said of a preliminary hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday morning. “The state changed their mind and instead did a secretive hearing, so they can get their indictment.”
A grand jury determines whether prosecutors have enough evidence to indict a defendant for a crime. During the proceedings, the prosecution presents its evidence without a defense attorney present. After the evidence is presented, the grand jury deliberates in secret before handing up an indictment.
Menon is accused of bumping into a person with force on a walkway between two Strip hotels, pretending to be a “suspicious person” to engage people in conversation before detaining them and shoving a fellow Metro officer, among other actions that amounted to people being unlawfully arrested, according to police.
“It is not just a mistake which led to a single unlawful detention; it is a pattern of unlawful detentions which led to multiple arrests, detainments and violations of rights. The common factor in all these detentions and arrests was Sgt. Kevin Menon,” wrote arresting officer Matthew Pluck in Menon’s arrest report.
Barnum said his client is “absolutely not guilty.”
The grand jury returned an indictment charging Menon with nine counts of oppression under the color of office, one count of oppression with immediate threat or use of physical force, two counts of subornation of perjury, or inducing someone to lie under oath, and one count of battery on a protected person.
Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @estellelilym on X and @estelleatkinsonreports.
