(LibertySociety.com) – Tragedy struck the Nevada State Highway Patrol on November 28 at around 3:30 a.m. when two troopers were hit and killed by an impaired driver while assisting a motorist on Interstate 15. Sergeant Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix were identified as the victims of the hit-and-run.
Abbate was in his 10th year with the agency. Felix began working as a trooper after completing service in the United States Air Force. Police named Jemarcus Williams, 46, as the operator of the Chevrolet HHR that struck and killed both troopers. He was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, although authorities did not release information regarding where or how he was found.
Williams was charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence (DUI), as well as another charge for leaving the scene of the accident. Williams will likely receive sentencing enhancements because his charges resulted in the deaths of the troopers. Authorities investigating the hit-and-run found Williams’s car parked at an apartment building four hours later. Williams appeared in court on December 1, where his level of intoxication was discussed. According to Jaewon Jung at KTNV’s reporting of the arrest report, Williams had been drinking while at the Palms Casino and “was so intoxicated that security officers had to escort him” out of the building.
Security officers at the casino reportedly told Williams that they would call the police if he attempted to enter his vehicle. Chief Deputy District Attorney Shanon Clowers revealed that surveillance footage showed Williams hiding behind a tree, waiting for the security officers to leave. He then got into his car and left the casino. Representatives from the casino said they were working with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation into the events that unfolded before the hit-and-run occurred. Williams initially denied that he had hit the two officers, but eventually admitted guilt, stating, “I f*cked up.” Back in 2007, Williams was found guilty of driving under the influence after narrowly missing a police vehicle.
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