Coroner's inquest begins Friday in police shooting death

That could be a big factor in public confidence in the system, officials say, as one of the highest profile cases begins Friday.

District Attorney Stewart Bell said his office is well aware that the inquest will do more than determine whether Las Vegas policeman Bruce Gentner should be criminally charged in the April 12 shooting of John Perrin. The proceedings, Bell said, also will ascertain whether Clark County residents are confident in the inquest procedure.

"This is a rather high-profile case and regardless of what made it that way, the process is on trial," Bell said. "I don't think it matters what the outcome is as long as the public is satisfied in the integrity of the process."

Bell said his office will not second guess the jury's ruling regarding Gentner's actions. If the jury rules the shooting was justified or excusable, there will be no criminal charges. If the verdict comes back criminally negligent, Bell's office will pursue charges against Gentner. Under Nevada Revised Statutes the district attorney's office is not obligated to follow the ruling of the inquest jury.

"In this process, the jury tells us what to do and we have consistently respected their position," Bell said. "We will do that in this case as we have in every other case."

A packed courtroom, including reporters, interested police officers and Perrin family members are expected for the inquest. About 13 witnesses will be called and about a third of them will be civilians.

The most obvious reason for the intense scrutiny is because the shooting of Perrin is controversial. Gentner, 27, said he stopped the 32-year-old Perrin as he walked across Rainbow Boulevard because Gentner thought Perrin was acting nervous. Perrin's loved ones have questioned the constitutionality of the stop.

When Perrin made a gesture with his hand toward his waistband, Gentner fired 14 rounds. The officer said he thought Perrin was reaching for a weapon. Investigators later said Perrin was unarmed and likely attempting to discard drug paraphernalia.

In addition, significant criticisms of how coroner's inquests are carried out have made the Perrin case a lightning rod for those who believe the system allows police to kill, then escape prosecution in Clark County.

"Frankly, the system has been on trial for years, but this is just the latest in a long line of police shootings that have raised serious questions in the public's mind about the police and their conduct," said Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. "The district attorney is certainly right in that if the process fails this time, it will be evident to most people that it lacks integrity as a whole."

Since 1976 only one of 84 police shootings in Clark County has been ruled criminally negligent by an inquest jury. That verdict was thrown out weeks later by a grand jury.

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