Videos show alleged illegal Las Vegas Strip arrests; sergeant charged
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The 8 News Now Investigators obtained a series of videos at the center of a criminal case against a police sergeant accused of orchestrating fake arrests on the Las Vegas Strip.
A grand jury indicted Kevin Menon on 13 charges, including nine counts of oppression under color of office, two counts of subornation of perjury, oppression under color of office with immediate threat or use of physical force, and battery of a protected officer.
Investigators within the department believe Menon orchestrated fake arrests by instigating situations with the public without probable cause, documents said.
Metro's Internal Affairs Bureau believes the arrests may have been part of an attempt to skew crime statistics, documents said. The office received a complaint on May 15 from an officer within the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union representing Metro police officers. In the letter, the officer alleged Menon "was using 'probably illegal tactics' while dealing with the public," documents said.
Prosecutors showed the grand jury videos of the specialized unit Menon led arresting multiple men in April and May.
Each incident occurred while Menon was dressed in plain clothes and several officers were dressed in uniform.
The majority of individuals listed in the criminal case who were taken into custody were Black men.
In one incident, Menon appeared to try to hand two men fraudulent money, prosecutors said. Officers pretended to take Menon into custody and then detained and searched both men. One of the men demanded to speak to a supervisor, the men were released and Menon returned wearing a Metro police jacket.
In another incident, officers were getting to stop a man on a pedestrian bridge because he appeared to have a knife larger than what is allowed on the Las Vegas strip. Before uniformed officers could stop the man, Menon bumped into him.
Menon is also seen on video pushing an officer who was unaware Menon was a sergeant as he was dressed in plain clothes.
"I'm the [expletive] sergeant, you idiot," Menon said.
Officer Seth Acda, a rookie on the specialized squad normally comprised of officers with more experience, said he was concerned about sharing his concerns about Menon, especially since the sergeant boasted and frequently made reference to kicking people off the squad. "I definitely felt like if I did say something there would have been some kind of retaliation, whether it was getting kicked off the squad or being put on a shift that, you know, nobody really likes or having bad days off," Acda testified. "There would have been some kind of retaliation if it I had said something."
The Las Vegas Police Protective Association sent a letter to Metro, which spurred an internal affairs investigation.
Capt. Steve Connell and Lt. Travis McMurtry both testified they were unaware of Menon's actions.
Menon is currently on unpaid administrative leave with the suspension of police powers, according to the department. His next court date was scheduled for Oct. 23.
