A 2020 case of mistaken identity will cost police in Nevada nearly $90,000.
The Henderson Police Department will pay $25,000 and Las Vegas Metro Police Department $65,000 to Shane Lee Brown, who was held in custody for nearly a week for a crime he was accused of committing.
“We should call and see… If he has court tomorrow, we don’t want to arrest him that would be dumb,” one Henderson officer is heard saying. “You got arrested for something with a weapon in Metro, at least that is what they are saying,” the officer told Brown.“I’m not a felon, I didn’t commit a felony… I was trying to plead to anyone that would listen, to let everyone know like ‘Hey, can you double check?,’” Brown toldShane Neal Brown, a 51-year-old white man, had a warrant out for felon in possession of a firearm. In the body cam video of the 25-year old’s arrest, Henderson officers seemed unsure if they had the right man.
In the video, one of the officers asked what they should tell the jail. The second officer said to tell them he has a weapons charge.“Each of those entities stepped up and acknowledged that they had made a mistake,” Bryson said.“In Nevada, for negligence, when you sue a governmental entity, there is a statutory cap of $100,000,” Bryson said.