In December 2011, Metro Officer Jesus Arevalo fired the fatal shot that killed disabled Gulf War veteran Stanley Gibson. During the confrontation that preceeded Stanley's death, officers on the scene failed to communicate and bungled the plan that might have prevented Gibson's death. All of those revelations came out in the first police fatality review hearing held February 28 in Clark County.
“It was somber,” says Clark County Commissioner Susan Brager. “There were a few times that Mrs. Gibson appeared very distraught. She left the hearing for a few minutes. I was there the whole six hours ... I think it was important to sit there, not just watch it on television, but to actually be able to see how were the questions asked, how were they answered, how did it affect the emotions of the parties that were involved in it?”
“Somber was definitely the overtone,” says Katrina Ross, an attorney with the ACLU of Nevada. “As well as somber it was inquisitive. I know that there were a lot of members of the community who were there to find answers, or at least hear more about the events of the night.”
Critics of the process wonder whether the new system holds officers accountable and provides the answers the community needs.
Listen to the full interview.
GUESTS
Susan Brager, Commissioner, Clark County Board of Commissioners
Katrina Ross, Attorney, ACLU of Nevada
Conor Shine, Reporter, Las Vegas Sun