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"A nation can survive it's fools, and even the
ambitious. BUT cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less
formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves
amongst those within the gates freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the
alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears
not a traitor, he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their
face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the
hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown
in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic
so that it can no longer resist. A murder is less to fear."
Cicero's speech to the Roman Senate 50 years befor
the birth of Jesus. |
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Mission statement |
To teach, educate, organize and awaken our veterans and their families to select, support and vote intelligently for a better world and to protect ourselves from our own government(s) in a culture of corruption and to be the political voice for those in other groups that do not have one. |
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Elected Officials need to Lead, Follow, or get out of the way! |
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Written by Webmaster
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Tuesday, 28 February 2012 |
Veterans In Politics International:
How is Henderson Police Chief Jutta Chambers asked to resign, but Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Douglas Gillespie is allowed to remain in office?
Las Vegas, Nevada In 2011 alone, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers shot and killed 12 civilians, ranking third in police shootings below two cites with nine times the population, Los Angeles and New York City.
Several police shootings have sparked community outrage in several cases.
• Erick Scott, an Army Officer Veteran, was shot dead by seven hollow point .45 rounds in front of his girlfriend in the day light hours at Cosco in Summerlin, after he allegedly failed to comply with conflicting commands from officers on the scene. Scott had a concealed weapons permit (CCW) and his gun was in its holster while he bleed to death on the pavement at the Costco entrance. The incident was recorded by Costco video surveillance but the footage has mysteriously disappeared.
• Trevon Cole, a former UNLV line backer was killed by LVMPD officer Bryan Yant while executing a search warrant. Officer Yant shot Cole in the face with an AR 15 while Cole was leaning over a toilet, unarmed, in front of his pregnant fiancée. Later, it was revealed that officer Yant falsified information to obtain the search warrant, and falsified a police report of the shooting. His description of events was contradicted by the Medical Examiners Report, the reports of the other officers on the scene, and testimony from other officers during the Coroner’s Inquest.
After asking for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Douglas Gillespie’s resignation in December by Press Release and on several news radio and television shows, we invited Gillespie to be on our radio show (Veterans In Politics Talk Show on KLAV and VANR). Sheriff Gillespie appeared on our talk show on January 28, 2012 in full uniform with his Under Sheriff, James Dixon. We found this to be unusual because on three prior occasions, Sheriff Gillespie appeared on our show by himself, in civilian attire.
When asked why Officer Yant has not been charged with murder, we were told that Yant is assigned to a desk. He is still allowed to carry a weapon and still being paid by tax payer’s dollars. Gillespie added that no further investigation is needed because the Coroner’s Inquest found Yant’s actions justified, despite contradicting testimony from the Coroner and his fellow officers on the scene.
Notably, the Coroner’s Inquest was held while former District Attorney David Roger (whose duties included investigating police shootings by Metropolitan Police Officers) was negotiating for a job with Chris Collins, Executive Director of the Police Protective Association (PPA).
Given Roger’s disturbing, brazen conflict of interest, Veterans In Politics filed an Ethics Complaint against Roger in January and recently received a response from the Ethics Commission requesting that further evidence was needed. Veterans In Politics forwarded additional evidence and requested that the complaint be investigated by a panel of Commissioners in pursuant to NAC 281A-405 (A).
In Trevon Cole’s federal wrongful death lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Cole’s family was recently awarded $1.7 million dollars – a record settlement amount for Metro that, as always, will be paid from public funds. But this amount may be eclipsed by the case of Stanly Gibson.
Stanley Gibson, an Army Gulf War Veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), was killed by Metro officers who shot him in the back of the head with an AR 15 military –style assault rifle as Gibson sat in his car, alone, unarmed, and suffering from a panic attack.
Initially, Sheriff Gillespie reported to the public that Gibson was using his vehicle as a weapon to ram police cruisers and that after 29 minutes of negotiations officers were forced to defend themselves by shooting Gibson. In other words, in typical fashion, Sheriff Gillespie immediately blamed the victim and justified his officer’s conduct. Gillespie was not aware that a witness has recorded the entire incident.
And the eyewitness video of the event, which was aired by local media, completely contradicted what Gillespie had told the public. The video shows Gibson in a car. Unoccupied police cruisers are parked sideways directly behind his car and directly in front of his car, pinning him in. At one point, Gibson’s tires spin and smoke, his car unable to go forward or backward. In other words, it is clear from the video that Gibson’s car could not move, much less ram police cruisers, as Sheriff Gillespie initially asserted.
After the video was released, Sheriff Gillespie revised his prior statement, explaining the officers on the scene decided to use non-lethal means to detain Gibson, but Officer Jesus Arevalo decided to fire seven rounds with an AR 15 assault rifle into the back of Gibson’s head, killing him instantly.
Several officers on the scene later indicated that Officer Arevelo knew the plan to take Gibson alive. Now, officer Arevelo sits at home on paid administrative leave, his salary paid by taxpayers.
Later, it was revealed that Gibson was out of anti-anxiety medication and succumbed to a panic attack after being unable to find his apartment (he had recently moved and was in a neighboring apartment complex when he was killed by Metro).
Gibson’s senseless death, and Sheriff Gillespie’s business-as-usual response, sparked public outrage that had long been simmering over Sheriff Gillespie’s unwillingness or inability to recognize or address systemic problems within his organization, and caused the local chapters of the ACLU and the NAACP to request an investigation of Metro by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Sheriff Gillespie’s handling of Gibson’s death also highlighted a problematic public relations policy: blaming the victim and justifying Metro’s actions with statements that are misleading and later proven to be simply false. This is exactly what happened in the case of Calvin Darling, who collided with Metro Officer James Manor. Officer Manor was killed in the accident and Sheriff Gillespie immediately issued a public statement indicating Darling was at fault, was driving drunk, and struck Officer Manor causing the collision that killed him.
However, the investigation revealed Officer Manor was speeding, without lights or sirens, and without a seatbelt. Also, it was later learned that Darling was not in fact drunk, and did not cause the fatal accident. In short, as with Stanley Gibson, Sheriff Gillespie’s initial public statement justifying Metro’s actions was not only misleading, but later proven simply false.
Currently, the Coroner’s Inquest has 17 cases awaiting hearing, and it appears Sheriff Gillespie is holding up the process, refusing to allow any kind of actual inquiry in which Metro Officers might actually be held accountable.
But Sheriff Gillespie’s problems are not just public. In 2010, while Sheriff Gillespie was running for re-election against Officer Laurie Bisch we interviewed Gillespie on KLAV Eye on Nevada Radio Show. I instructed Sheriff Gillespie that I was told by several Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officers that there were two separate incidents of Domestic Violence calls to the Sheriff’s home address and that Gillespie told the arriving officers that they could not arrest him. Technically, Gillespie is correct. Under the Nevada Revised Statutes, only three people have authority to arrest the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff: the Nevada State Attorney General, the Clark County District Attorney, and the Clark County Coroner.
I was also told that Sheriff Gillespie removed the domestic violence calls to his home from the official police SCOPE. When I asked Gillespie about this incident on air he told me that it didn’t happen. But off the air, he admitted that it did.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has its police officers buy their own body armor. Public funds are much better spent on officer safety than as compensation to widows and orphaned children in wrongful death lawsuits. And while Gillespie indicates that his office receives a clothing allowance that allowance is for the dry-cleaning of their uniforms only.
Sheriff Gillespie indicated on our radio program that leadership starts at the top, that he is electable, and that he will continue to be the Sheriff in a re-election and refuses to step down.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is losing their senior officers; officers on the job are looking at the calendar and counting down the days before their retirement. It’s apparent that this Sheriff has lacked the leadership, training, and moral compass needed to lead and oversee a competent police force that our citizens can believe in.
Henderson is asking for the resignation of its Police Chief in response to one beating caught on tape. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department continues to have an unacceptable number of police-involved deaths and the only group that has asked for the Sheriffs resignation is Veterans In Politics International. This is unfortunate.
Some elected officials are intimidated and worried about their re-election and refuse to stand up for what’s right. Veterans In Politics International is requesting that everyone contact their elected officials and request the resignation of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Douglas C. Gillespie.
The Veterans In Politics International mission statement reads in part “that in a culture of corruption to be the political voice in other groups that do not have one”. We are doing this because of the good police officers that serve and risk their lives for us every day and yet do not have a voice within their own police department.
For More Information and to listen to the Radio Interview of Sheriff Gillespie go to:
http://www.vegasallnetradio.com/Shows/VeteransInPolitics.html
http://www.veteransinpolitics.us.com/joomla/ |
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Veterans In Politics would like to know; where is our Veterans Court for Clark County Nevada? |
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Written by Webmaster
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Friday, 17 June 2011 |
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It has been two years since former Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons signed Veterans Court into law, we need your support
Clark County Nevada, we talk about our returning veterans, but most of us do nothing, most of us make no real difference. We give them awards, we bury them, we say good job, and we have a parades for them, some of us even make money off of them, but in the long run what have we really done for our returning veterans. In 2009 a number of veterans went to Carson City or the Grant Sawyer building to testify on the desperate need for a Veterans Court within the state of Nevada to our legislators. This was spear headed by Family District Court Judge Jennifer Elliot and former Speaker of the Nevada Assembly Barbra Buckley. This Assembly Bill known as (AB187) passed both the Nevada Assembly and Nevada State Senate unanimously and in July 2009 it was signed into law by former Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and it is now known as Nevada Revised Statue 176. This law is supposed to help our returning veterans from the combat zone, find treatment instead of incarceration if they end up in front of a judge. Right now there are about 41 Veterans Court across the country. Veterans In Politics International (VIPI) was wondering why after two years Veterans Court have not been in existence in Clark County, Nevada. A few months ago Veterans In Politics meet with a few judges to discuss Veterans Court and no one knew what Veterans Court was. Veterans In Politics then entered into a campaign to find out and educate our judges and elected leaders on Veterans Court. We first meet with Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak to find out why the county was not funding Veterans Court. After reading NRS 176 it states that Veterans Court is optional. Veterans Court is optional, but when our military is sent off to war that’s not “optional”. Commissioner Sisolak suggested that each judge set a time during the week and handles veterans that are before them or transfer all veterans to one judge and that judge transfers there none veteran defendants, a trade off. Commissioner Sisolak stated that the veteran are in the system anyway, so it really should not allocate any additional funds. Veterans In Politics meet with Justice of the Peace (JP) Melanie Tobiasson and Justice of the Peace William Kephart in an effort to bring Veterans Court into the Justice of the Peace jurisdiction. We found out that Judge Tobiasson is in charge of Veterans Court within the jurisdiction of the JP, but made it optional for the judges to send the veterans to her courtroom. Veterans In Politics also meet with Las Vegas Municipal Judge Martin Hastings regarding Veterans Court. Judge Hastings is now conducting Veterans Court within his court room. Judge Hastings now has a sign in his court room asking military veterans to check in with his Marshall. Veterans In Politics meet with District Court Judge David Barker and found out that Veterans Court only applies to non violent offenders and only to members of the military that served in combat. In addition all judges “shall” ask every defendant if they are a “military veteran”, for the past two years no judges within Clark County have asked any defendant if they are a military veteran. We suggested that the intake forms have a question asking defendants if they are a military veteran. Veterans In Politics contacted both Nevada Assemblyman and Chair of the Judiciary Committee William Horne and Nevada State Senator Valerie Wiener to amend NRS 176 Veterans Court to have Veterans Court for none combat veterans as well as combat veterans and misdemeanor violent offenses as well as none violent misdemeanor offenses. The amendment was voted down and Nevada Assemblyman Scott Hammond was to rewrite the amendment, the session is out and we still have not received a verdict. Veterans In Politics send an email blast to every Judge, City Council, District Attorney, Public Defender, and County Commissioner within the state of Nevada encouraging them to make Veterans Court a priority and educating them on the existing law, 400 emails in all was sent. Veterans In Politics received feedback from Churchill County and Washoe County Court Administrators indicating that Veterans Court is alive and well within their jurisdiction. After speaking with Sheila Leslie Washoe County Specialty Court she explained that Senior District Judge’s Peter Breen and Archie Blake have been rotating their Veterans Court calendar to meet the need of veterans that come before them. They receive grant money from AB29 through the Nevada Supreme Court to pave the way for their Veterans Court. Washoe County is incredibly small in comparison to Clark County meaning they have an incredibly small budget and they have stepped up to the plate, found money and established their Veterans Court for the past two years. Veterans In Politics meet with Matthew Zoccole Clark County Court Administrator and Steve Roll Clark County Specialty Court to find out where Veterans Court is within Clark County we then requested a need to speak to the District Court Judges regarding this issue. Veterans In Politics was granted 15 minutes on the Criminal District Court Calendar in attendance was District Court Judges Valorie Vega, Douglas Herndon, Jackie Glass, Elisha Cadish, Linda Bell, Douglas Smith, Jennifer Togliatti, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Abbi Silver, David Barker, Stefany Miley, and James Bixler. Deputy District Attorney was present and Clark County Public Defender Phil Kohn. Veterans In Politics members participated and encourage the need to have an active Veterans Court within Clark County. Indicating that Clark County has the largest veteran population within the state of Nevada with the highest average per population in the country, Veterans In Politics pleaded with the jurist stating that just because a veteran returns home in one piece does not mean they don’t have some type of issue. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has plagued many veterans, indicating that the military has trained veterans to be extremely aggressive and it’s hard to turn it off, and aggression is how our men and women win wars. David Rivers a former Marine, Attorney, and Judicial Council for Veterans In Politics was present along with Heidi Hanusa none veteran, but a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) express her concerns on returning veterans that suffer from mental illness. Hanusa indicated that alcohol, drugs, anger, and sometimes sex is used to suppress the memories of combat and a lot of none violent crime offenders could easily cross over to violent crime offenders if preventive maintenance is not used. Veterans Court is to be used as a preventive maintenance measure and it will save the County a lot of money in the long run. Veterans In Politics need your help to make sure that a Veterans Court is establish in very municipality in our State and community to ensure that our returning military veterans receives treatment instead of incarceration. Let’s welcome our service member’s home with some gratitude, we trained them to be the way they are and it’s up to all of us to un-program them so they can be a productive member of society when they come home. We will leave you with this You Tube video; Cheryl DeBow Reads Letter to the Ohio Supreme Court Requesting a Court for Veterans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucR41B62H-M&feature=share |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 17 June 2011 )
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Written by Webmaster
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Tuesday, 05 April 2011 |
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Clark County Early Voting Locations |
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Written by Webmaster
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Tuesday, 25 May 2010 |
CLICK HERE to find Clark County early voting locations. |
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