Las Vegas police officer faces DUI charge after hit-and-run crash

A veteran officer with the Metropolitan Police Department was arrested Monday on suspicion of DUI following a hit-and-run crash in south Las Vegas.

Officer Richard Anthony Chavez, 47, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count each of DUI, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and failure to stop at a red light, Las Vegas Justice Court records show.

Metro responded about 7:45 a.m. to a hit-and-run crash on Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Bermuda Road, dispatch logs show.

The same day, Chavez walked out of jail on his own recognizance, and the case was forwarded to the Clark County district attorney’s office for prosecution, court records show.

A copy of his arrest report was not immediately available Wednesday.

Chavez, who is assigned to Metro’s homeland security division, has been with the agency since 1999, police said in a statement, adding that he was placed on “modified duty with pay.”

He is due in court on Feb. 22.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter at @rickytwrites.