Nevada governor released without ticket after Las Vegas traffic stop
Body camera video shows Gov. Joe Lombardo identifying himself during a May stop over an alleged red-light violation, according to the AP.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo was stopped by a Las Vegas police officer in May over an alleged red-light violation and left without a citation, according to body camera footage obtained by The Associated Press. The stop has drawn attention because Lombardo previously led the same police department as sheriff and is seeking reelection this year.
The May 15 stop involved an officer from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the agency Lombardo headed for eight years before becoming governor. According to the AP, the video shows the officer approaching the passenger side of a light-gray Ford pickup driven by Lombardo, with his wife, Donna Lombardo, in the passenger seat.
As the officer reached the window, Lombardo said, “I’m Joe Lombardo,” according to the video. The officer responded that he was aware and said he had initiated the stop because he did not see Lombardo stop at a red light before turning right.
Lombardo replied, “Come on, man,” the AP reported. The officer then told him he was free to leave and walked back from the vehicle. The exchange lasted about 15 seconds within a video that runs 1 minute and 10 seconds, according to the AP.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Lombardo was not cited, according to the AP. The department did not provide a reason, while law enforcement officials said officers commonly issue no citation for minor traffic violations.
Lombardo’s campaign said the governor and his wife were on their way to the airport when the officer pulled them over. In a statement Tuesday, the campaign said Lombardo complied with the officer and continued on his way, and that he remained grateful for law enforcement officers in Nevada.
The footage became public through a records request, according to the AP. Its release comes ahead of the November election, when Lombardo, a Republican, is set to face Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford.
Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, told the AP the stop did not appear unusual to him. Grammas, whose union has endorsed Lombardo, said officers often stop drivers, tell them why they were stopped and then let them leave.
Grammas denied that Lombardo received special treatment. He said officers generally ask for a license to identify a driver, but in this case the officer already knew who Lombardo was.
Grammas also told the AP that Lombardo gave only his name and did not identify himself by title as governor. He said that, given Lombardo’s position as governor and his former role as sheriff, the officer likely had no reason to check for warrants or a suspended license.
Edward Obayashi, a deputy sheriff and policy adviser who teaches ethics and policing in California, told the AP he saw no ethical problem in the conduct of either Lombardo or the officer. Obayashi said officers frequently let drivers leave with warnings, and that identifying oneself during a stop can be a common courtesy when the officer already appears to know the driver’s identity.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.