Police Fatality Public Fact-Finding Review for Death of Edward Brooks - March 25, 2026

This public fact-finding review, held at 9:00 AM on March 25, 2026, at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, was conducted pursuant to Clark County Ordinance Chapter 2.12 following the Clark County District Attorney's Office preliminary determination that no criminal prosecution of the officers involved in the death of Edward Brooks is appropriate. The review was presided over by Mandy McKeller. Chief Deputy District Attorney Mr. Pesci presented the essential facts, calling Detective Paul Cherrier as the sole witness. Gwen Girling served as the ombudsman representing the public and Mr. Brooks' family, and was given the opportunity to question the witness. No formal determination regarding the manner or cause of death was rendered at the conclusion.

Presentation of Evidence

• Incident Summary: On March 12, 2024, at approximately 15:16 hours, North Las Vegas Police responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots from apartment #4 at 2215 East Nelson Avenue. The call taker also heard gunshots in the background.
• Officers Involved: Officer Kenneth Townsley (badge 2642, 4 years of service) and Officer Kevin Calderon (badge 2840, 2 years of service). Both were in marked patrol vehicles, wearing full uniforms with body worn cameras, and both agreed to be interviewed.
• Decedent: Edward Jamar Brooks, 43, Black male, 6'2", 300 lbs, resident of the apartment. He had a criminal history including multiple felony convictions and prior arrests.
• Timeline: Officers arrived at 15:18 (Calderon) and 15:21 (Townsley). At 15:27, Brooks exited apartment #4 with a gun in his right hand. Officers gave verbal commands to drop the gun; Brooks ignored them and continued advancing. At 15:27:45, both officers discharged their weapons, striking Brooks seven times. Brooks died at the scene.
• Weapons: Officer Townsley fired 6 rounds from a department-issued Glock M4 LE .223 caliber rifle (did not fire his handgun). Officer Calderon fired 2 rounds from a Glock 17 9mm pistol. Brooks was armed with a Bersa Thunder .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun; the magazine was empty but one round was in the chamber. Ballistic testing confirmed that cartridge cases found at the scenes of three deceased females matched Brooks' firearm.
• Autopsy & Toxicology: Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds (six to center torso, one to right side of neck). Toxicology revealed the presence of PCP (phencyclidine) and THC derivatives (marijuana). PCP in low doses can cause agitation, hallucinations, aggressiveness, and increased pulse rate.
• Preceding Violence: Prior to the officer-involved shooting, Brooks shot and injured a dog, and shot and killed three females (two in apartment #2 and one in apartment #4). Had he survived, charges would have included three counts of murder with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person, ex-felon in possession of a firearm, burglary, animal abuse, and resisting an officer.
• 911 Call and Body Camera Footage: The 911 call and body worn camera videos from both officers were played. The footage shows Brooks walking calmly toward officers with a gun in his right hand, not raising it to a 90-degree angle. Officers can be heard giving commands to drop the gun. Officer Calderon stated he feared Brooks might raise the gun. Officer Townsley described Brooks' demeanor as "calm, plain demeanor" and "weird." Both officers stated they did not watch their body camera footage before giving statements.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public submitted questions or comments during the review.

Key Outcomes

• No formal determination regarding the manner or cause of death was issued. The review served solely to present the public with essential facts.
• The Clark County District Attorney's Office preliminary determination that no criminal prosecution of the officers is appropriate was not challenged or altered during the review.
• The ombudsman, Gwen Girling, questioned the detective on several points: the limited information officers had upon arrival (only that shots were fired and a dog possibly shot), the lack of identifying descriptors of the suspect, the officers' ability to take cover, the potential confusion of multiple simultaneous commands, and training regarding individuals who may be hearing-impaired or non-responsive. The detective acknowledged that the officers did not know if Brooks was a victim or suspect, and that his failure to respond to commands was noted.
• The record of the proceeding, including a video, is available on the Clark County website.