Officer Involved in Costco Shooting Faces Felony Charge
LAS VEGAS -- District Attorney David Roger says 23-year-old Thomas Mendiola is in a lot of trouble.
Last summer, Mendiola, a Metro Police officer, allegedly gave a .22 Ruger to his mechanic Robert Justice. Justice already had a criminal record in another state. On September 14, 2010, Justice sold the Ruger and a .357 handgun to an undercover police officer for $500.
According to the criminal complaint, Justice told Mendiola about his criminal convictions and Mendiola admitted to knowing about them. According to the complaint, Mendiola allegedly told Justice, "Dude, you're not supposed to have that, but you already know that." Investigators also say Mendiola stated the gun "was rusted, it had no sights. It didn't fire. Course, I never tried it. It just didn't look like it even fired to me at all."
If convicted, Mendiola could trade his badge for a prison ID.