The Henderson City Council on Tuesday approved a $638,476 settlement for a man whose house was heavily damaged during a 2024 SWAT raid.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in April by Henderson resident Aaron Baca, who said in the complaint that law enforcement forcibly removed the walls of Baca’s townhome at 295 Callen Falls Ave., near Galleria Drive and North Water Street, and flooded it with chemical agents while trying to apprehend a wanted suspect on April 12, 2024.
Under the agreement, Baca agrees to dismiss his lawsuit and will not sue the city in the future for damage caused by the 2024 raid. The settlement was approved unanimously.
When reached by phone Wednesday, Baca declined comment and deferred to his attorney, Jared Richards. Richards could not immediately be reached.
Mayor Michelle Romero said after Tuesday’s City Council meeting that both sides should be happy with the settlement.
“In this particular case, yes, I believe it was the right outcome,” Romero told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Settlement controlled by third party
The settlement includes a $418,262 payment to fund repairs to the residence. The city will also pay Baca $136,562 to cover lost personal property and for the loss of use of his residence, according to the settlement. The settlement says the city will also maintain an $83,652 contingency account to fund potential construction costs in excess of the $418,262 “as approved by the City as reasonable and necessary.”
The funds will be controlled through a third party, which City Attorney Nicholas Vaskov said was a non-negotiable demand from the city. Vaskov added the city normally wouldn’t settle with a homeowner seeking to recoup costs for damaged property during law enforcement operations, but damage to neighboring units compelled the city to pay up.
“Generally speaking, police actions that result in damage do not give rise to liability, particularly, as in this case, when action is taken pursuant to a valid arrest and search warrant, and is reasonably executed to protect the community,” Vaskov said. “While there is some risk and uncertainty in this case for the city, we’ve always viewed this settlement primarily as an effort at community caretaking for the benefit of the neighborhood and the adjacent unit owners. Without repairs to this unit, the building and the community would never recover.”
Police Chief: 2024 incident prompted change
Baca’s lawsuit claimed the SWAT enforcement caused Baca to lose much of his personal property, including furniture, clothing, electronics and other belongings, and that the damage caused by police required a complete rebuild of the property.
The suit also said the Henderson Police Department failed to assess the scope of destruction relative to the actual threat being posed and that the SWAT raid violated Baca’s constitutional rights ensuring access to due process and protection from unreasonable seizure.
Police Chief Reggie Rader said at Tuesday’s meeting that since this barricade, Henderson police have invested in new equipment that makes communication easier for officers on the ground. Rader also said Henderson police now train with the Metropolitan Police Department and the North Las Vegas Police Department SWAT teams, which will help multi-agency responses during future barricade situations.
“There was a progression that occurred, kind of in a vacuum, without a lot of talking to one another (in) different sections,” Rader said of the 2024 raid on Baca’s home. “There was also some failed pass-off pieces when other agencies were taking over.”
Rader, who was hired last July, said all of the decision-makers in Henderson Police Department leadership during the 2024 SWAT raid are either no longer with the department or no longer in the leadership roles they held at the time.
Given those changes, Rader said the city should be better prepared to avoid similar outcomes in the future.
“I’m very confident that if this does befall our city again, we would have a different outcome while still being able to keep the community and officers safe,” Rader said.
In addition to Baca agreeing not to sue the city in the future, the settlement also states the city is not liable for claims made in the lawsuit.
Man in Baca’s home faced charges
The lawsuit filed in April said police were searching for a man named Trevor Cooper, who authorities learned was living inside Baca’s home. Police later said that Cooper was facing criminal charges including first-degree kidnapping and battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and was described by Rader as being equipped with a high-powered rifle and equipment more powerful than police deal with in most barricade situations.
Baca was not the subject of any criminal investigation and had no association with Cooper, who was holed up inside the home for nearly two days and was eventually found dead inside the home, according to the complaint.
Cooper’s death was ruled by the Clark County coroner’s office as a suicide caused by the combined effects of oxycodone, fentanyl, amphetamine and clonazepam.
Had Cooper been apprehended, police said after his death, he would have faced charges including six counts of a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, five counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person, and one count each of possession of a short-barreled rifle and resisting with a firearm.
If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on X @Casey_Harrison1.
