By james art Update (11/1, 11am):
Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks has determined that the shootings of Scott Kennedy and Jeremiah Graham on January 8, 2023 by Reno Police Officers Steven Mayfield and Travis Luke were justified and legal under Nevada law.
District Attorney Hicks released a detailed 37-page report containing the facts of the case, photographs, witness statements and legal analysis to support the decision. You can find this report here.
This decision was based on a thorough review of the investigation conducted by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, which was turned over to the Nevada District Attorney’s Office.
The release of this report has been delayed until Graham’s ongoing criminal prosecution stemming from the incident that led to the shooting is completed.
The purpose of this delay was to preserve the integrity of the legal proceedings against Graham.
The video of the incident from the report can be found at The YouTube channel of the Reno Police Department. WARNING: Bodycam video is included and may be graphic at times.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
A Reno man will serve up to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The defendant, Jeremiah Graham, 46, will be eligible for parole in four and a half years.
In January 2023, police responded to an apartment complex on Sky Valley Drive to find a 31-year-old woman who had been beaten by Graham, who was her roommate.
As officers helped the woman back into her apartment, they noticed several firearms inside.
A short time later, officers saw Graham and his brother, Scott Kennedy, return to the apartment, grab several guns and leave again. When an officer attempted to speak with Graham and Kennedy, Kennedy began shooting at the officer with a semi-automatic rifle, hitting him three times in the leg and abdomen.
The officers returned fire, shooting both, killing Kennedy and wounding Graham.
The officer underwent several surgeries and is still recovering.
An investigation found that while Graham was in possession of guns, he did not fire them in the incident and did not directly injure the officer.
Graham was in possession of an AR-15 and a handgun at the time of the shooting, and multiple handguns were found in a safe in Graham’s apartment in his room.
Graham was previously convicted of three prior felonies, two felonies with a deadly weapon and one felon in possession of a firearm, and is therefore prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.