Lawsuit accuses BLM of excessive force in 2022 shooting
A lawsuit filed by the family of a man shot and killed by a Bureau of Land Management officer accuses the department of negligence and the officer of excessive force.
In March 2022, BLM trainee Cody Negrette fired eight shots from an AR-15 into a stolen 2000 tan Chevrolet Silverado, killing Greg Davis Sr., 52, and injuring two others in the vehicle.
Later that year, a Las Vegas Review-Journal investigation obtained exclusive investigative records and hours of officers’ bodycam video from the incident, raising questions about whether the lethal force was necessary and whether the officers were endangered when the shooting happened.
Negrette, who had worked for the BLM only a few months, is heard on bodycam video saying: “I hit all three of ’em.”
Policing experts who reviewed the documents and some of the video at the Review-Journal’s request said the records revealed a questionable use of force and a flawed Metro Force Investigation Team review.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday by Leia Martin, the administrator of Davis’ estate, as well as Davis’ children, Cyrus Davis and Nicholas Davis. It claims wrongful death, assault, battery and negligence.
The complaint states that Davis died “as a direct and proximate result of the wrongful and negligent acts and/or wrongful and negligent omissions” by Negrette and BLM Chief Brad Sones.
Andre Lagomarsino, the lawyer representing the family, told the Review-Journal that the case was about more than just this family, but had broader implications for society and law enforcement.
“It’s not uncommon for people to run from the police,” Lagomarsino said. “That doesn’t mean it should be a death sentence.”
The BLM told the Review-Journal that it does not comment on pending litigation.
Dismantling stolen truck
Sones and Negrette, patroling federal land on the northeast side of Las Vegas, spotted Eric Orrantia, Carlos Cardenas and Davis dismantling two stolen vehicles in the desert near state Route 147 on March 17, 2022, according to the complaint.
The two BLM employees watched the men from a distance on a hill. Sones then called for reinforcement and drove to meet three other rangers, leaving Negrette — as well as his Colt M4 rifle — behind, the complaint said.
When Cardenas noticed three ranger vehicles with their sirens approaching, he and the other men got in the Silverado and drove away in an attempt to flee the scene, according to the court document. Officers said they thought the driver, Orrantia, was trying to hit Sones, but the video appeared to show him swerving away before Negrette fired the shots.
Cardenas and Orrantia, who both had extensive criminal records, were found guilty of auto-theft-related charges but a jury acquitted Orrantia, who was driving, of attempting to injure or kill the BLM officers.
Negrette, who the complaint said had his own handgun, took Sones’ rifle and fired several rounds of ammunition in the Silverado’s direction from his position on the hill. The Silverado then lost control and crashed into a deep ravine, according to the complaint.
A use-of-force policy paper, released in 2020 by 11 top law enforcement associations, cautioned that shooting at a moving vehicle should only be done when there are no other alternatives.
Davis suffered five gunshots from Negrette’s rifle, including one to the back of the head. When the truck rolled, it blocked his door.
After the crash, Davis could be heard making noises from inside the vehicle, but none of the rangers tried to check on him, the complaint said.
Right after the shooting, Sones approached the vehicle calling to Davis while Negrette stood watch, the body camera video showed.
“There’s one dead in the car,” Sones said.
“Hey, he’s not dead,” Negrette responded. “He made a noise.”
Davis died by the time medical assistance arrived the next day, the complaint said.
The lawsuit requests a jury trial. The family could not be reached for comment.
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @katiefutterman.bsky.social.
