‘I’m the [expletive] sergeant,’ Las Vegas officers testify in opposition to certainly one of their very own

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — 5 Las Vegas Metro law enforcement officials testified in opposition to Sgt. Kevin Menon throughout grand jury proceedings, which led to Menon’s indictment, in response to paperwork the 8 Information Now Investigators reviewed.

A Clark County grand jury indicted Menon on 13 fees, together with 9 counts of oppression below coloration of workplace, data mentioned. The costs stem from incidents throughout operations the place plainclothes officers work with uniform officers to identify crime on the Las Vegas Strip.

“It gave the impression of essentially the most unlawful factor a sergeant might do,” Officer Justin Candolesas testified in reference to a Could 3 incident. Members of Menon’s group informed the grand jury that on that day, officers noticed a person in possession of a knife on a pedestrian bridge. Because the officers walked towards him, Menon, wearing plain garments, “shoulder-checked” the person, paperwork mentioned. The officers described Menon’s bodily contact with the person as an motion that may end in a citizen’s arrest, had they accomplished the identical factor.

Officers recalled the citizen turning into upset and mentioned the scenario might have escalated. Menon suggested the officers on learn how to fill out their stories, in response to the grand jury testimony.

“Sgt. Menon gave it again to us and mentioned one thing alongside the traces of how we have to change just like the story and say that the person we arrested purposely ran into one other civilian and he was attempting to articulate how the knife might have been used within the combat and the civilian that Sgt. Menon was referring to was himself however he didn’t need his title to be put within the report,” Candolesas mentioned.

Officer Brett Flygare testified Menon shoved him on Could 5.

“He shoved me along with his hand after which mentioned, ‘I’m the [expletive] sergeant, you fool,’” Flygare recalled. Flyugare mentioned he was wearing his uniform appearing as a “cowl officer” whereas different officers have been coping with a person who was appearing erratically.

Menon walked towards the world whereas wearing plain garments with no badge and whereas carrying a sling-style pack throughout his chest, in response to Flyugare.

“My intentions have been simply to handle him,” Flyugare mentioned.

Flyugare testified if a civilian shoved an officer the best way Menon did, they might have been arrested for battery on a protected particular person.

Menon spoke with Flyugare later that night time, the officer mentioned.

“He by no means explicitly apologized for his actions or addressed whether or not or not they have been applicable,” Flyugare mentioned. “I interpreted as considerably of an apology however not a honest one.”

Officer Abbygail Armijo testified that she completed the police academy in Could 2023 and regardless of her being on probation, Menon introduced her to his specialised unit on the Las Vegas Strip making her the youngest and most junior officer.

She recalled a Could 5 incident on the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas the place 4 people have been taken into custody, with out possible trigger, after she adopted orders from Menon who had claimed the lads have been making inappropriate feedback to ladies close to a restroom.
Armijo additionally supplied testimony about directives from Menon.

“He didn’t need to be included within the stories and he would ship our stories again to alter them in our incident crime report system to primarily take his title and the lieutenant’s in addition to the captain’s title out although they would supply us with possible trigger or cheap suspicion,” Armijo mentioned.

Armijo additionally mentioned she thought of transferring out of the unit.

“I didn’t really feel prefer it was the proper factor to do and I had a intestine feeling that it was mistaken and I simply didn’t need to do it anymore,” Armijo mentioned.

Officer Stephen Corsaro testified how the group used the applying Sign, the place messages can instantly disappear and the place Menon would concern his directives, together with to arrest him whereas he was wearing plain garments to assist create a situation for a citizen arrest.

Officer Erik Sanchez recalled how he and no less than one different officer addressed their issues with the union presenting officers, the Las Vegas Police Protecting Affiliation, quite than to superiors throughout the division.

“There’s numerous locations on this division you may take a look at for and he all the time informed us that he was one of many those who was sitting oral boards, in order that was form of like an intimidating issue figuring out that in the event you have been to check for narcs, gangs, vice, murder, he’ll be the one such as you guys proper now sitting in entrance of me so if I did say one thing about him I felt that it was going to present me restricted choices to the place I might take a look at for,” Sanchez mentioned.

The union drafted a letter to the division on behalf of 4 officers who have been involved Menon was utilizing “presumably unlawful techniques,” in response to an arrest report first obtained by the 8 Information Now Investigators.

The division positioned Menon on depart with pay and suspended his police powers pending an investigation after his arrest. The division has since stopped paying him, a spokesperson mentioned following the indicment.

Protection attorneys Austin Barnum and Dominic Gentile are representing Menon. Gentile despatched the 8 Information Now Investigators the next assertion on Wednesday, the day the indictment in opposition to Menon was introduced:

“The state filed a criticism on this matter on Sept. 9 and Sgt. Menon instantly superior the preliminary look and demanded his statutory proper to a preliminary listening to inside 15 days. The listening to was set for immediately and we absolutely anticipated that the state would produce its witnesses for a public listening to and permit for us to cross-examine them. We have been ready to take action immediately.  Apparently the state selected to keep away from having their witnesses confronted and cross-examined and determined as an alternative to proceed secretly by the Grand Jury. It begs the query, “Why”? What’s it a couple of public continuing that the state is anxious will probably be revealed about their witnesses and the weak point of their case?”

Menon was because of return to court docket on Oct. 23. The 8 Information Now Investigators requested Menon in regards to the allegations after he left a courtroom Wednesday morning. He declined to remark.

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