The Nye County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident captured on video where one of its deputies appeared to cross a median in a patrol vehicle and ram a motorcycle driver during a pursuit on Friday in Las Vegas.
The agency acknowledged the incident in a Facebook post Saturday after a video surfaced on social media showing a Nye County patrol vehicle appearing to make contact with a motorcycle near the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Mountain Vista Street, sending the driver tumbling to the ground before a foot pursuit commenced.
“We cannot release any further comments or details at this time due to (it) being an ongoing investigation,” Sheriff Joe McGill told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “However, there will be some information coming out in the next few days.”
While details from the sheriff’s office remain scant, police and court records identify the driver as Johnathan Rios, 34, who was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving, operating an unregistered vehicle, driving without a license and disobeying a peace officer.
The arrest report states a Nye County traffic deputy observed a teal motorcycle without a plate weaving through traffic on Interstate 11 near Charleston Boulevard round 1:12 p.m. and a pursuit ensued after the driver failed to pull over after the deputy activated his lights and sirens. The arrest report stated that the Nye County deputy was conducting targeted traffic enforcement.
The deputy wrote that he reached speeds around 90 miles per hour as he pursued the motorcyclist, who continued to weave in and out of traffic and drive through multiple restricted areas before exiting on the Tropicana Avenue off-ramp.
After Rios allegedly ran through a red light, the deputy wrote that he “attempted to block Rios in,” near the congested intersection of Mountain Vista Street and Tropicana Avenue.
“This was effective, causing Rios to lose his balance on his motorcycle, almost falling at a near stop, where he turned around before dropping his motorcycle,” the deputy wrote in the arrest report. “Immediately, Rios begun to flee on foot where I then engaged into a foot pursuit after him.”
Carmen Watson, the person who captured the video of the incident, disputed the deputy’s account.
“I watched him hit the back of the bike,” she said. “He picked up speed coming over the median.”
A Department of Justice report from 2023 issued a recommendation that law enforcement agencies should “discourage or prohibit” pursuits involving motorcycles.
“Pursuing a motorcycle should only be permitted if there is an elevated risk to the community if the suspect remains at large and officers can conduct the pursuit in a reasonably safe manner,” the report stated.
The DOJ report also cited data from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis that showed motorcyclists were more likely to be injured or die than car passengers in crashes.
During an inspection of the motorcycle, deputies found the ignition tampered with, allowing it to be operated with a screwdriver, the arrest report stated.
After transporting Rios to a hospital, deputies said he “was apologetic, calling his actions inconsiderate, selfish, stupid and had regrets,” while also claiming he was using his friend’s motorcycle, the report said.
The arrest report states the Metropolitan Police Department was notified of the stolen vehicle recovery. Metro told the Review-Journal that Nye County did not notify it of the vehicle pursuit.
Prior to last week’s arrest, Rios had several run-ins with law enforcement.
Rios pleaded guilty in 2011 to attempted possession of stolen property after admitting to a police officer that he took another person’s vehicle for a “joyride,” according to police and court records. He also pleaded no contest to DUI in 2014 and 2025, according to court records.
He was released from custody at the Clark County Detention Center after posting bond.
Contact Devan Patel at dpatel@reviewjournal.com.
