Las Vegas Police Sergeant Arrested for Unlawful Detentions on the Strip
Date: 2024-09-03 Author: Alex Crawford Categories: EVENTS
Sergeant Kevin Menon, 42, of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) was arrested Friday after an Internal Affairs investigation uncovered a series of questionable arrests targeting tourists visiting the Las Vegas Strip. Menon, who faces multiple charges as part of a larger investigation, was booked into the Clark County Detention Facility but was likely released the next day on $27,000 bail, jail records show.
Menon was summoned to appear in court the following morning, Saturday.
Menon: 'Excited and Encouraged' After Joining 10 Years Ago
Menon was suspended from the force in May and had his powers suspended after being linked to incidents in which he and his colleagues allegedly encountered tourists, leading to altercations and fights that resulted in the tourists being detained, according to unnamed sources. Menon, who is still on the force, served with the LVMPD for a decade, working in the Tourist Security Division, part of the Convention Center Area Command (CCAC).
The CCAC, founded in November 2008 with the support of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority, oversees the Las Vegas Strip and is responsible for patrolling the most populated area in the LVMPD's jurisdiction. In 2014, after taking the oath of office, Menon said the event was a "crushing and enlightening experience," adding that he felt "elated and inspired."
Charges of battery, abuse of power, and suborning perjury
Menon has been charged with multiple counts, including battery of a protected person, abuse of power with force, eight counts of abuse of power, and two counts of suborning perjury, according to local television station KSNV.
The abuse of power charges involve the wrongful arrest and detention of people without probable cause, without necessarily harming the victims or their property. The suborning perjury charge relates to Menon's attempts to coerce another person into making a false statement under oath.
If convicted, Menon could face prison time. He is expected to testify in the case at his next court hearing.
The LVMPD investigation, which has been ongoing for several months, is ongoing. There are no reports of additional arrests. The number of victims also remains unknown, and authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the actions of Menon and the other officers under investigation.
Last November, a Clark County Parks Police officer was also charged with abuse of office and soliciting a sexual act under threat of imprisonment, which allegedly occurred in a casino parking lot. In October 2023, a former Las Vegas police officer was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for three major casino robberies that resulted in the theft of more than $160,000.
