A judge ordered alcohol monitoring Wednesday for a Metropolitan Police Department officer accused of grabbing his wife by the throat and pushing his sister.
Jerry Wheeler Jr., 32, faces a count each of child abuse or neglect, battery and domestic battery.
The officer, who has been suspended without pay, previously posted bail and did not appear in court Wednesday.
Defense attorney Warren Geller entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf.
According to an arrest report, Wheeler was booked into the Clark County Detention Center shortly after midnight July 5. Police said the battery occurred on the Fourth of July at a family gathering when Wheeler argued with his sister, then pushed his wife, who fell to the ground, after she tried to intervene.
Wheeler’s wife said he pushed his sister, who was holding her 10-month-old baby at the time. The sister did not fall, but Wheeler’s wife said she confronted her husband and attempted to lock him out.
“He grabbed her by the throat and forcefully threw her down, causing her to strike the ground,” the report said.
Deputy District Attorney Phillip Froehlich said in court that he wanted to make an argument about Wheeler’s bail.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Amy Wilson said she was willing to hear bail arguments but would need the defendant present to do so.
Based on her current knowledge of the case, she said, “I’m not inclined to increase bail.”
But she said she wanted to place Wheeler on monitoring to ensure he did not use or possess alcohol.
“It was obvious that alcohol was an issue here,” Wilson said.
Geller agreed that the arrest report discussed excessive alcohol use.
“I don’t think there’s anything else in this record that suggests problems with alcohol,” he said. “It’s a Fourth of July party and I think there’s a single instance, much like people overdo it on New Year’s Eve, things like that, as opposed to some kind of chronic alcoholism issue.”
“I’m not going to accept alcohol as an excuse for a child abuse that was committed,” Froehlich said.
Geller said he was not suggesting alcohol consumption was his client’s defense.
“Defense’s position isn’t if you consume alcohol, battery becomes lawful, something like that,” he said.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
