# Las Vegas police officers ruled justified in shooting of home invasion suspect



## SGT_GRUNT_USMC (May 31, 2004)

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jun-24-Sat-2006/news/8139085.html

*CORONER'S INQUEST: Police shooting ruled justified *

*LV officers killed suspect who used car as weapon *

By BRIAN HAYNES 
REVIEW-JOURNAL 
Police officer John Jessie Wiggins explains Friday how he was trapped between two cars when he fired into a car that was backing into him. A jury found Wiggins and officer William Mosher justified in the fatal shooting of Aaron Jones. 
Photo by Gary Thompson. 

A jury took less than 30 minutes Friday to justify the actions of two Las Vegas police officers who shot and killed a man as he tried to escape in his car.

At a coroner's inquest, officers John Jessie Wiggins and William Mosher testified they feared for Wiggins' life when they opened fire on Aaron Jones on April 28 at the Sunset Breeze apartments in the southwest valley. Both officers fired after Jones, a suspect in a home burglary, backed up his car and hit Wiggins in an attempt to escape.

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"I thought my partner was going to die," Mosher testified at the inquest, which was presided over by Hearing Master Michael Van.

The officers cornered Jones, 36, shortly after responding to a burglary-in-progress call on Toscana Lane, near Durango Drive and Sahara Avenue. Homeowner Pete Maier had called police about 9:45 a.m. after Jones climbed into Maier's house through a window.

Maier, an Aladdin security guard, confronted Jones and tried to hold him at gunpoint, but Jones ran out the front door. The two men knocked each other to the ground in the front yard before Jones ran up the street, Maier testified.

Wiggins and Mosher were in the area on an unrelated call and headed to the apartment complex behind Maier's house to search for the suspect. Mosher spotted Jones first, but when he stopped to question him Jones ran into a cluster of apartment buildings.

Mosher chased Jones on foot while Wiggins drove to the other side of the apartments. Wiggins spotted Jones climbing into a car and used his patrol car to block Jones' escape. Meanwhile, Mosher drew his weapon and took a position in front of the car.

Jones' car was running as Wiggins approached the driver's side door and ordered Jones to turn off the car and get out. Jones refused.

"He says, 'I didn't do it. I'm not the person you're looking for,' " Wiggins said.

The car lurched several times and Jones reached under his seat while Wiggins ordered Jones to surrender. At one point Wiggins used his baton to break the window in hopes of removing the car keys, he said.

Jones said, "I'm leaving," and put the car in reverse, Wiggins said. The tires chirped and the car moved backward toward Wiggins, who was between Jones' car and a parked car. Jones' car hit Wiggins' leg and knocked him off balance.

"I just kept thinking, 'I'm dead. I'm a dead man,' " Wiggins said. "Basically, he forced me to shoot him because of his actions."

Wiggins and Mosher fired simultaneously from their .45-caliber handguns. Jones slumped over and died. The incident lasted about 40 seconds, Wiggins said.

Wiggins, 33, has been a Las Vegas police officer for four years. Mosher, 34, has been with the department 11 months. Both had law enforcement experience in other states.

Three witnesses who saw the incident said the officers were in danger. But one of them, apartment resident Corey Coffman, said Wiggins could have dived or rolled out of the way.

"I'm sure he could have done something else," Coffman testified. "There's probably 20 things he could have done besides shoot."

Homicide Detective Mark McNett, who investigated the shooting, said one of Jones' aunts told police at the scene that Jones had an extensive criminal history and faced a long prison sentence if he were ever caught because of California's three-strikes law.

A man who said he was Jones' brother also came to the scene and shouted obscenities at police. None of Jones' family attended the inquest.

There was some controversy during the inquest, however, when sheriff's candidate Larry Kepler tried to ask a question during the hearing. Kepler was told only "interested parties" can ask questions at inquests.

"I'm very interested in people getting killed by police," Kepler said as he was escorted from the courtroom.

Kepler is the author of "Sin City Post Mortem: Stories of Real Police Brutality."

Kepler said he was told to leave the Regional Justice Center and threatened with arrest if he returned.

Assistant Coroner John Fudenberg said Kepler was never threatened with arrest, but he was told he wouldn't be allowed back into the courtroom until the next break and only if Van and prosecutors approved his return.

"We can't have outbursts like that because the jury hears those things," Fudenberg said.

Kepler left and spent the morning picketing on the courthouse sidewalk.


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## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

Just a small note that Kepler dude is a moron. He's an anti-police/anti-law enforcement activist.

Here he is at the candidate introductions for the CLEO position.


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