A Sergeant for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has been indicted on 13 charges after illegally arresting people without probable cause. Kevin Menon made the arrests along with his unit of officers on the Las Vegas Strip, and an internal probe suggests that he did so to skew crime statistics.
The investigation began in May, after an officer within the Metro police union complained that Menon “was using ‘probably illegal tactics’ while dealing with the public.”
8 News Now reported that it had seen videos that formed the backbone to the case. They showed Menon and his unit making multiple arrests on the Strip in April and May this year. Menon appeared in the videos in plain clothes, while his officers wore uniforms.
one video showed Menon attempting to hand two men fraudulent money
According to the news source, one video showed Menon attempting to hand two men fraudulent money. His officers then detained and searched the men while pretending to take Menon into custody too.
In another, Menon bumped into a man on a pedestrian bridge who they suspected had a knife larger than that allowed on the Strip, suggesting the sergeant was trying to instigate a violent interaction. A different video showed him pushing an officer who didn’t realize he was a sergeant in plain clothes.
Menon is on unpaid administrative leave with suspension of police powers. He was indicted on 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. He will appear in court again on October 23.