Metro police officer arrested, charged with child abuse and domestic violence-related charges

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer was arrested on the Fourth of July and faces multiple charges, according to LVMPD.

The department said Jerry Wheeler, who has been employed with LVMPD since 2019, was initially booked into the Clark County Detention Center Saturday on charges of battery constituting domestic violence.

The Clark County District Attorney's Office amended the charges Monday to one count of child abuse, neglect or endangerment, one count of battery and one count of battery constituting domestic violence, according to LVMPD.

Wheeler is assigned to the Convention Center Area Command, Tourist Safety Division. LVMPD said he will be placed on suspension of police powers without pay pending an investigation.

According to court records, Wheeler posted a surety bond. He is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 2.

Police responded to a home before midnight on July 4 after a caller reported an "active domestic disturbance."

According to an arrest report for Wheeler, the incident began when family attempted to stop him from driving due to his "high level of intoxication." Witnesses said he made it two houses down the road before he was stopped by family members.

After going back inside the residence "visibly irate," he approached a relative and pushed her with both hands while she was holding her 10-month-old infant, witnesses told investigators.

The arrest report states that after seeing him push his relative, another relative confronted him, "demanding to know why he pushed her while she was holding an infant." According to the report, Wheeler grabbed her by the throat with one hand and pushed her to the ground.

Wheeler was restrained by family members until police arrived at the home, the report said.

Investigators asked Wheeler to provide a statement, but he declined to be interviewed, according to the report.