Coroner’s inquest postponed due to court challenge

By Kyle B. Hansen

Friday, July 8, 2011 | 12:26 p.m.

The first coroner’s inquest scheduled to take place under new rules has been postponed due to pending court proceedings, county officials said Friday.

The inquest into the fatal police shooting of Benjamin Bowman had been scheduled to begin July 12. However, changes to the coroner’s inquest process approved by Clark County commissioners in December were challenged in federal court by police officers involved in the Bowman shooting.

The county and the officers agreed to postpone the inquest pending further action by the court, county spokesman Dan Kulin said Friday.

“This is a very serious issue,” Coroner Michael Murphy said in a statement. “It is imperative that we respect the rights of all involved and give our legal system the time necessary to address this challenge.”

Bowman died of multiple gunshot wounds Nov. 15, 2010, at a PT’s Pub near Nellis Boulevard and Sahara Avenue.

Police said Bowman took a female bartender hostage with a knife during a failed robbery attempt. When the woman broke free, police said Bowman tried to stab her and they shot him.

The new ordinance to revise the inquest hearing process was passed on Dec. 7, 2010. Changes include the establishment of an ombudsman to represent the victim’s family, the release of key evidence and investigative files, and the restructuring of meetings before the inquest hearing.

The Las Vegas Police Protective Association had proposed a measure during the legislative session to eliminate the inquest process altogether, but the bill failed.

Officials initially had scheduled the inquest for June 29, but later changed it to July 12. A pre-inquest meeting between parties related to the shooting was held May 9 and a pre-inquest conference was held June 3.