A public fact-finding review was held on March 9, 2026, at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Cesar Reyes, who died on December 8, 2024, during an incident involving Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers. The review was mandated because the Clark County District Attorney's Office preliminarily determined that no criminal prosecution of the involved officer was appropriate. Presiding Officer Mandy McKellar oversaw the proceedings, with Willard Ewing serving as ombudsman representing the public and the Reyes family, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Pam Weckerly presenting the case.
Presentation by Detective Andrew Evans: Detective Evans of LVMPD's Force Investigation Team presented the timeline and evidence. Key facts included:
Ombudsman Questioning: Willard Ewing posed questions on behalf of the Reyes family and the public, addressing:
State's Rebuttal: Chief Deputy DA Weckerly briefly clarified that Reyes exited the room on his own, ran approximately 143 feet while officers commanded him to drop the gun, and he refused.
Cesar Reyes on December 8th, 2024. I am Mandy McKeller. I will be presiding over today's proceedings. This review is being held because the Clark County District Attorney's Office has made the preliminary determination that no criminal prosecution of the offers officers involved in the death of Caesar Reyes is appropriate. Clark County Ordinance Chapter 2.12 requires public review following such a determination. This is not a trial. The purposes of today's proceedings is to present the public with essential facts surrounding the death of Mr. Reyes. Chief Deputy District Attorney Pan Reckerly is will present today's fact-finding review on behalf of the district attorney's office and will determine the witness or witnesses to be called. The ordinance does not provide subpoena power on my behalf and does not allow for any other party to call witnesses. Willard Ewing has been appointed as the embudsman. He represents the public and the Reyes family. He will have the opportunity to ask questions of the witness or witnesses. The procedure for questioning witnesses shall be informal with a view of providing the public with relevant information regarding the use of force in this case. The rules of evidence shall not be strictly enforced. Members of the public observing this review may submit proposed written questions on the forms located in the back of this room and present it to any of the officers. I will ask the question unless I determine that it is irrelevant, redundant, or an abuse of the review process. At the conclusion of this review, no formal determination regarding the manner or debt cause of death shall be rendered. Additionally, the following material that may be presented can contain graphic images or language. Viewer discretion is advised. Does anybody have anything to add? No. Okay, then go ahead. The state uh or the state calls Andrew Evans. Okay. And sir, how are you employed? With the force investigation team of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. What is the force investigation team? We investigate officer involved shootings in custody deaths and violent crimes against police officers. Were you the primary officer investigating an officer involved shooting on December the 8th of 2024? Yes. Can you describe where uh in Clark County that shooting took place? The shooting took place inside of a hotel off um South Las Vegas Boulevard and Silverado Ranch. And who was the subject officer? The subject officer was Officer Zach Adam. He was hired in January of 2006. At the time of the incident, he was 45 years old, assigned to SWAT. His body worn camera was not activated. However, his partner had a camera mounted to their helmet, which was placed on the floor next to their position. Officer Adam did provide a walkthrough, which we'll go through later, and he did not provide a statement to fit. What was the weapon involved? His weapon was a Laru tactical LT10 rifle as a 308, and the investigation revealed he fired one round. And were there witness officers? Yes, the witness officers were Sergeant Dixon, Officer Bunting, Officer Lee, and Officer Nord. And what can you tell us about the decedent in this case? The decedent was Caesar Reyes II. He was 26 years old. He was from California, and had he survived, he would have been charged with assault on protected person with deadly weapon, two counts, and resisting a public officer with a firearm. Did the decedent have weapons? Yes.