Taxpayer-funded police departments are entrusted with public safety. However, the actions of a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officer are under intense scrutiny after a formal complaint was filed by a family in a neighborhood near Twain Avenue and El Capitan Way. Video evidence submitted with the complaint depicts an officer from the Summerlin Area Command engaging in what are described as aggressive actions, now subject to an internal investigation.
In an era where law enforcement encourages the public to share doorbell and surveillance footage to aid in crime investigations, these very recordings can also capture instances of police misconduct. Lu Lobello’s home security system recorded an interaction between several officers and a civilian named Tony. Tony, an employee of Lobello’s boss, was at Lobello’s residence working on his boss’s truck. The situation escalated as Tony attempted to prevent the vehicle from being towed. The security footage clearly captured one officer yelling at Tony, even challenging him while out of uniform, stating, “All day! Out of uniform any day, b—! Come here! Come here! Come here!”
Alt text: Security camera footage still captures Las Vegas Metro Police officer yelling during incident investigation.
Lu Lobello expressed his dismay at the officer’s behavior, stating, “It was atrocious, it was disconcerting, it was ugly. And it was a tirade! It was so shocking and against what I know their policies to be.” He detailed the officer’s demeaning actions, including using his hand to mock Tony, repeatedly saying, “Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Run your mouth! Keep running it! Keep running it! Keep running it! Keep running it! All day!” Lobello, reflecting on the encounter, remarked, “It might have been one of the worst police interactions I’ve seen, in terms of professionalism. It was a shame to see, and I’m glad that we had the footage to give you.”
Alt text: Citizen complaint filed against Las Vegas Metro Police officer for unprofessional conduct in Summerlin.
Lobello, a disabled veteran and now a criminal defense attorney who served in the Iraq War with the U.S. Marines, brings a unique perspective to the situation. He and his sister founded Dutch Valley Dreams, a company dedicated to assisting formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society. Their work encompasses providing support for education, employment, and transportation, and even offering temporary housing within their family home. Lobello’s residence on Dutch Valley Drive is situated near Bendorf Elementary School, an area frequently patrolled by LVMPD officers. He notes that while police presence is common in their neighborhood, the officer’s aggressive conduct was far from typical.
Alt text: Portrait of Lu Lobello, veteran and attorney involved in Las Vegas Metro Police officer complaint.
Tony, the individual targeted by the officer’s outburst, is part of the Dutch Valley Dreams community and has been making significant progress in his life. He secured employment with Hana Sushi, a local business partner, and developed a positive relationship with the owner. On the day of the incident, October 21, 2023, Tony was at Lobello’s home to repair his boss’s truck window, which had malfunctioned. He had parked the truck, facing the wrong direction, near Lobello’s RV parking. According to Lobello, “It was illegally parked at the corner of my RV parking, and when the cops had rolled by and noticed that, they stopped.”
The situation escalated when officers noticed the improperly parked truck and a mismatched license plate. In the video, the officer is heard explaining to Lobello, in aggressive language, about the license plate issue and his authority. He is quoted saying about Tony, “I can make his f—ing life a living hell. I’ve been leaving you guys alone. I’ve been being cool. And if I come out here and the car is — do you know what co-plated means? It means there’s a plate on it that goes for another car. So, I have every reason to be here. I don’t know what the f— his problem is!” Turning his attention directly to Tony, the officer threatened, “Hey, you, check this out, bro. If I see you and I can find any reason to stop you now, I will!”
Alt text: Video still of Las Vegas Metro Police officer confronting civilian during parking incident.
Tony, understandably intimidated by the officer’s demeanor, declined to speak on camera for this report. However, he recounted his attempts to de-escalate the situation on that October day. In the video, Tony can be heard trying to reason with the officer, saying, “Hey, listen.” The officer curtly responds, “What?” Tony then pleads, “Be easy, bro. Why (are) you stepping out of line?” The officer’s reply was dismissive and authoritative: “I’m gonna tow the car. I’m taking it.”
Alt text: Las Vegas Metro Police officer interaction recorded on security camera leading to internal affairs investigation.
Adding to the confrontation, Lobello explained that the officer then noticed Tony’s motorcycle parked nearby. Despite there being no issue with the motorcycle, Tony questioned the officers about their interest in it. “I’m asking what you’re doing with my bike,” Tony is heard saying on the video. Lobello described this question as triggering “a hurricane of anger and testosterone and aggression” from the officer.
As Tony retreated towards the driveway, the officer escalated the verbal confrontation, clapping and advancing towards him, taunting, “Tail between your legs! Tail between your legs! You want to go to jail, bro? You want to go?” Even as Tony walked away, the officer continued to yell after him, “Come here! Come here! Come here! Bring it on! Bring it on, man!”
Alt text: Aggressive behavior of Las Vegas Metro Police officer towards civilian captured on video, complaint filed.
Lobello voiced serious concerns about the officer’s temperament and its broader implications, stating, “Not only is he a danger to himself, he is a danger to the people he interacts with. And now you’re making the job more dangerous for all the good cops out there that know how to de-escalate and know how to treat the public.” In stark contrast to the aggressive officer, another officer present at the scene offered a calm explanation, stating, “The truck doesn’t belong to you, nothing like that, we’ll do our job and get out of you guys’ hair. Simple as that.”
Ultimately, the officers had the truck towed, issuing a civil citation to the truck owner for improper parking and unlawful transfer of license plates. Notably, neither Lobello, Tony, nor anyone else present received any citations, arrests, or charges related to the incident. LVMPD confirmed this in response to a public records request, and further revealed that no incident report was initially created.
Despite the lack of an initial report, body camera footage of the incident exists, which 13 Investigates requested. Initially, LVMPD estimated a cost of nearly $700 to redact the footage, citing Nevada Supreme Court rulings regarding the confidentiality of officers’ faces in body camera videos. After a fee reduction and a resubmitted request, LVMPD denied access to the footage entirely, citing an active internal affairs investigation into the officer’s behavior, initiated due to the Lobello family’s formal complaint.
Alt text: Internal Affairs investigation underway for Las Vegas Metro Police officer following civilian complaint and video evidence.
The Lobello family’s complaint stems from concerns about the officer’s conduct during the incident and potential future interactions with the public. Lobello questioned the officer’s judgment, “If you can’t control your verbal continuum of force, how are you going to control your physical continuum of force?” He emphasized the LVMPD’s own Code of Ethics, which mandates officers to “maintain calm in the face of danger, scorn or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others.” The Code also requires officers to “enforce the law courteously” and “never act officiously,” with “officious” defined as being “assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, especially with regard to petty or trivial matters.”
On December 4, 2023, an interview request was submitted to LVMPD’s public information office, seeking to speak with the officer in question and their commanding officer regarding the alleged ethical violations. In the absence of their consent, a request was made for another Metro representative to address the Lobello family’s concerns on camera. LVMPD responded on January 17, 2024, declining the interview request, stating:
“We are unable to accommodate an interview for this matter. An officer was in the 36-hundred block of Dutch Valley Drive on October 21, 2023, when he found a vehicle believed to have been stolen. He initiated a recovered stolen vehicle call through dispatch, and additional officers arrived on scene.
The LVMPD Internal Affairs Bureau was notified of a civilian complaint about the behavior of one of those officers on October 24, 2023.
There is currently an ongoing and active investigation of our officer’s behavior pursuant to our collective bargaining agreement.”
LVMPD Internal Affairs has informed the Lobello family that they will receive a letter detailing the investigation’s outcome upon its completion. This news outlet will continue to follow this story and report on the findings of the internal investigation as they become available, ensuring transparency and accountability regarding the conduct of officers in uniform within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
