Clark County Nevada
(August 8, 2014)

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD, "Metro"), and the Police Protective Association (PPA) have together protected a lot of bad police officers throughout the history of Metro, which was formed in 1973.

A Metro Officer who should have been terminated years ago for defiance against authority, and discrimination, was kept on the job only to be shuffled around from one area command to another. He was placed on a shift with less supervision than he needed, which may have led to him killing an unarmed man while the man sat in his barricaded car.

On December 12, 2011 former LVMPD officer Jesus Arevalo shot and killed unarmed, decorated, Disabled Army Gulf War Veteran Stanley Gibson. Since that incident, former LVMPD Officer Jesus Arevalo was the first police officer sent to a Grand Jury by the Clark County District Attorney for an officer involved shooting, the second police officer in an officer involved shooting to have the Metro’s Use of Force Board recommend termination, and the first police officer to ever be terminated for an officer involved shooting.

Because of this unnecessary killing, and many others similar to this, the Department of Justice recommended 75 areas in which the LVMPD needed improving. , Critical Incident Training (CIT) went from voluntary to mandatory, and the Nevada Legislation proposed a bill that military veterans have an option to put the word “veterans” on their Drivers License to immediately inform a Police Officer that they have served our nation in an effort to help with de-escalation of a situation. The public became outraged at Metro and convinced the Nevada Legislature and the Clark County Commission to reject the “More Cops” Bill.

This was a huge black eye for Metro, and Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie decided not to seek a third term, after already having made public he would do just that.

Former LVMPD Officer Jesus Arevalo made the citizens of this community outraged at the way our police officers conduct business. Before Arevalo was finally terminated from Metro, he received Paid Administrative Leave for 22 months, grossing close to $250,000 FOR DOING NO WORK, and he will now receive disability for the rest of his life making $30,000 per year... supposedly diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) ...all at tax payers’ expense.

All these decisions were made internally by Metro. Metro conducts their own investigation against themselves, ruling if their own police officer was justified in the death of Stanley Gibson, deciding if body cameras should be on their police officers, and deciding if police officers should testify at Corners’ Inquest or the new Fact Finding Review Board. Impartial, balanced, or fair? No.

The widow of Stanley Gibson, Rondha Gibson, was suffering financially and emotionally. She was the sole care provider for her husband. Stanley Gibson's Veterans Administration (VA) benefits were their only source of income. All his benefits were frozen after his killing, pending investigations and decisions by bureaucrats. She had not been in the work force for years, but was suddenly forced back into it out of necessity, just to have doors slammed in her face from one prospective employer to the next, because of the notoriety surrounding her husband's killing.

While Rondha Gibson was destitute... faced with a funeral bill, evicted from her home, rejected by possible employers, penniless, no medical insurance, suffering from the loss of her husband, who was even more incredulously killed by someone who was sworn to be serving and protecting....Arevalo was getting paid to sit on his ass at home. Vacations....books....

Fast forward...Rondha Gibson won her Wrongful Death Civil Judgment against the LVMPD. She is the only person who has been successful in suing Metro for wrongful death, who still resides in Las Vegas.

Rondha Gibson will not rest until justice is served.

On August 4, 2014 former LVMPD Officer Jesus Arevalo received a taste of justice.

Las Vegas City Attorney Chad Lexis executed a convincing case against Arevalo for Harassment and Disorderly Conduct for his actions against Steve Delao, who is now married to Arevalo's ex-wife Catherine.

Arevalo was found guilty on both counts at a trial that was conducted in front of Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge Heidi Almase.

Arevalo was sentenced to pay $500, received a 2 year "stay away" order, ordered to receive mandatory anger management therapy, awarded 179 day jail suspension, 2 years of probation, and a choice of 90 days house arrest at $12 per day, or taken into custody to do the 90 days in the Las Vegas Detention Center.

We might not have had our justice for the death of Stanley Gibson but this is a start.

As of August 4th this billboard is erected in our valley and more will come.