By Glenn Puit
Las Vegas Review-Journal
LAS VEGAS — Metropolitan Police Department body-camera video shows a police sergeant stopping Gov. Joe Lombardo for a suspected red light violation in May in Las Vegas, then letting him go without issuing a citation.
The video shows Lombardo, the former Clark County sheriff, in a Ford pickup truck being stopped near Mandalay Bay on May 15 with his wife, Donna, in the front passenger seat.
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“Hello, how are you doing, sir?” the sergeant says upon approaching the pickup on the passenger side.
“Good,” the governor responds.
The sergeant introduces himself and says, “The reason I’m stopping you is for the …”
“I’m Joe Lombardo,” the governor immediately blurts out.
“I’m aware,” the officer responds. “For the red light violation back there. Your right turn onto Giles …”
“Come on man,” Lombardo says.
“You are good to go, sir. Appreciate you. Have a good day,” the sergeant states.
The governor’s campaign issued a statement Tuesday about the stop, saying Lombardo and his wife were headed to Harry Reid International Airport.
“Two months ago, Governor Lombardo and his wife were briefly pulled over on their way to the airport by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department over a question about whether Governor Lombardo had come to a complete stop while turning. Governor Lombardo spoke with the officer, fully complied with all instructions, and was promptly on his way. He remains grateful for the professionalism of the officer involved and for the service of law enforcement officers across Nevada.”
The governor’s campaign also said Lombardo was not seeking special treatment by introducing himself to the sergeant as the sergeant was speaking.
“As the officer approached the vehicle, he introduced himself to Governor Lombardo, who responded in kind by simply saying, ‘Joe Lombardo,’ as a matter of courtesy,” the campaign said in an email. “At no point did the Governor invoke his office and seek — or expect — preferential treatment.”
The Las Vegas Police Protective Association , which had endorsed Lombardo’s campaign for office in 2022 and again this year, provided a copy of the video to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday morning. Steve Grammas, president of the union representing Metro officers, said Lombardo did not receive special treatment.
“It is an absolutely nothing car stop,” said Grammas. “Thousands of those happen every month. We don’t write everybody a ticket.”
Grammas said the officer knew who Lombardo was, that he likely didn’t have a suspended license and that he didn’t have outstanding warrants.
“The officer pulled him over,” Grammas said. “Immediately knows it is the governor, immediately doesn’t need to identify him because he knows who he is, knows he probably doesn’t have a suspended drivers license and that, advised him why he pulled him over and told him to take care. If he wasn’t the governor, no one would care about the hundreds of other stops that are done the same way.”
The Nevada State Democratic Party issued a press release Tuesday morning saying “Lombardo was caught using his position of power to avoid accountability after breaking the law and being pulled over by a Metro Police officer trying to do their job.”
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said in an emailed statement that police should make all information related to the incident, including written communications and dashcam footage, available to the public promptly without charge or redaction.
“Hypocrisy from politicians isn’t exactly breaking news, but Governor Lombardo attempting to flex his political muscle after potentially running a red light would be an obvious example of an abuse of power, especially as his office continues to rail against Nevadans disregarding traffic laws,” Haseebullah said.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
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