LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As 11-year-old Jace and his 15-year-old brother Deegan play ping pong in the family's loft, they note that game time at the Hunstman home is a little less light-hearted this week. That after the family's frightening encounter with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police on July 1.
"It was pretty stressful," said Deegan. "Three cop cars came up behind us and there were six cops surrounding us and all the windows had to be rolled down."
WATCH | Darcy Spears talks to mother caught in fireworks enforcement
On the way home from visiting a friend in Logandale, Denise Huntsman and her children decided to stop and get fireworks in Moapa, knowing they could save a little money.
"They had a really good deal on sparklers, so I got a bunch of those for the kids," said Denise, who spent just under $150 for products they were assured were "safe and sane."
"The security guard at the front entrance guided us to that section because I said I only want to buy legal fireworks. We also talked to the lady at the register when I was purchasing the fireworks and she said, 'Oh yeah, they're totally legal.' Three separate people told me that safe and sane are legal in Clark County."
She says everything she bought looked exactly like what she's seen at local fireworks booths in Las Vegas, "just a little bit cheaper, so that was exciting."
But the excitement was extinguished when, about 60 seconds after leaving the reservation, lights began to flash in her rear-view mirror.
"It was almost like they were scoping us out and setting us up for failure. Watching us go in there, knowing we were making a purchase, and then watching us go out, only for us to cross that boundary for them to come and pull us over."
"What they were doing was just taking our fireworks that we paid for and we thought were good fireworks," said Jace.
"I did ask if they would please allow me to take them back to the store so that I could get refunded and they said 'Ma'am, you're not going anywhere with these fireworks--these illegal explosive devices. So, I just gave them the fireworks," said Denise.
What did they give her in exchange?
"They gave me a citation for $500 that I need to pay within like 15 days. So, I'm out a lot of money and I have no fireworks for Fourth of July. It kind of ruined the season a little bit."
Her family's story mirrors that of another Las Vegas local who reached out to 13 Investigates.
What's The Deal?
Teacher stopped by police and fined $500 for buying 'legal' fireworks
Second-grade teacher Errol Aiken and his daughters bought fireworks they were told were legal from a store in Pahrump that had sent them a coupon. They got stopped by Metro, given a $500 citation, and had their purchase confiscated within minutes of leaving the store.
Both the Huntsman and Aiken families are contesting those $500 citations.
"They informed me they have plain clothes officers, and I said, well, great. If you had a plain clothes officer there, they would have noticed that I was asking employees is it legal? Is it legal? Is it legal?" said Errol. "No comment to the police officer but then I thought, why would they let me out of the store if I was clearly asking is it legal?"
After that and other complaints, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill told me he asked Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill to stop doing covert enforcement at the Pahrump fireworks stores.
And on Wednesday, Moapa Tribal Police sent Denise an email saying they'll look into what happened to her family.
"I felt like I was scammed. I felt like I was set up for failure. I felt like I was deceived. I was deceived by both parties."
WATCH | Local officials discuss safety enforcement during upcoming Independence Day weekend
In a Thursday morning press conference, Metro, Fire Department officials and City and County leaders touted fireworks enforcement efforts.
"The use of reader boards are put out in strategic areas allowing people to see and be put on notice that the bringing of illegal fireworks into our community is something that we are not going to tolerate," said LVMPD Undersheriff Andrew Walsh.
The reader boards say "Only safe and sane fireworks allowed." And that's what the Huntsman family and the Aiken family bought.
"It's very wrong that they would not put up any signs, no warning that the fireworks--all of them--were illegal. And I would just tell them to fix that," said Deegan.
I asked Undersheriff Walsh about what our viewers are calling an overzealous dragnet catching people who believe they're following the law.
"Is that an effective use of your officers' time and the type of enforcement you want to be doing?"
"Yes," said Walsh. "Any illegal firework that we can prevent from coming into our community is an effective use of our enforcement--an effective use of our resources."
Even when they're sold as legal and 'safe and sane?'
Walsh: I can't speak to what's legal and 'safe and sane' or what the businesses in other counties or jurisdictions tell their customers.
I asked Moapa Tribal Administrator Chris Pascoe about that, and he deflected back to Metro, saying, "The Moapa Band of Paiutes is not an active participant in Metro's operation."
"The stuff that's sold in other counties is not legal. Don't bring it back," Walsh said in the press conference.
No matter what it is? Even a sparkler?
Walsh: I can't speak, Darcy, about particular things like a sparkler. I don't know about that incident. We can certainly--I have people here who will look into that for me. I promise you that.
While Walsh says Metro will continue doing surveillance and enforcement along the entry points into Clark County, 11-year-old Jace wants them to remember one thing.
"Not everyone is buying those fireworks to be illegal. We just wanted to do it to have fun and to celebrate Fourth of July."