Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- April 15, 2017
- Targets
- Nebyou Solomon (KLAS-TV)
- Case number
- 2:19-cv-00652
- Case Status
- Appealed
- Type of case
- Civil
- Arrest Status
- Arrested and released
- Arresting Authority
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- Charges
-
-
Obstruction: obstruction of a police officer
- April 15, 2017: Charges pending
- April 17, 2019: Charges dropped
-
Trespassing
- April 15, 2017: Charges pending
- April 17, 2019: Charges dropped
-
Obstruction: obstruction of a police officer
- Unnecessary use of force?
- No
Arrest/Criminal Charge
Las Vegas police stand between protesters against and supporters of the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States on Nov. 12, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photojournalist’s lawsuit dismissed, appeal filed
Photojournalist Nebyou Solomon’s civil rights lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and multiple officers was dismissed by a judge on Nov. 9, 2023. Solomon filed an appeal a month later.
Solomon was arrested in April 2017 while documenting a rally outside of Trump International Hotel Las Vegas and held by police for approximately eight hours. The charges against him — trespassing and obstruction of a police officer — were ultimately dropped.
According to court filings reviewed by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, District Judge Cristina Silva ruled that there had been no violation of Solomon’s constitutional rights and granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment.
Solomon appealed the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Dec. 11, 2023, and the case will be heard in the spring of 2024.
Solomon files First Amendment lawsuit against Las Vegas police
Photojournalist Nebyou Solomon filed a federal civil rights and First Amendment lawsuit against the Las Vegas police, among others, alleging violations of due process and unlawful search and seizure.
According to Lincoln Journal Star, Solomon's attorney Margaret McLetchie said on April 17, 2019, that Solomon was doing his job on a public sidewalk when he was detained.
Further review of the lawsuit in December 2021 showed that the Clark County District Attorney’s Office had declined to pursue criminal charges against Solomon. The Tracker has changed the status of his charges from “unknown” to “dropped.”
Nebyou Solomon, a photojournalist for 8 News Now, was arrested on April 15, 2017, while documenting a rally held outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released a statement saying that Solomon continued recording from private property belonging to the Fashion Show Mall after security officers requested him to move. Amy Rose, of the ACLU's Nevada chapter, said that Solomon was recording from a sidewalk.
Solomon was released eight hours later on the night of his arrest. He was charged with trespassing and obstruction of a police officer.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
