“Don’t… Come Towards Me!’: Abusive Nevada Cop Exposed as Liar After Video Shows Black Woman He Battered Never Tried to Spit on Him as He Claimed
A Nevada cop with a history of shooting unarmed people was exposed as a liar when he claimed to have slapped a Black woman because she was going to spit on him.
Henderson Police Sergeant Scott Alward also apparently lied when he claimed the Black woman was holding a pencil, making him fear for his safety, which is why he had to plant his knee on her shoulder as she lay facedown on the ground.
The lies were exposed by KLAS-TV, a Las Vegas news station that received a surveillance video of the incident “from sources that want to remain anonymous but are concerned with what they believe is excessive use of force.”
“We dug deeper,” said investigative reporter Vanessa Williams in the news segment published Monday, explaining to viewers that they first requested Alward’s arrest report, then requested his body camera footage to “confirm his version of the events.”
“What we don’t see is her trying to spit on him,” Williams reported about the incident that took place on October 26, 2024.
Alward also claimed in his report that the Black woman was holding a “sharp pencil” in her hand, which she was concealing beneath her body, as he planted his body weight on her, ordering her to “roll over.”
But that also appears to be a lie.
“We are unable to see a pencil in this video,” Williams reported which likely explains why the Henderson Police Department was reluctant to release the video to reporters, informing viewers it took nearly three months for them to comply with their request.
The Black woman, identified in online court records as Nakeisha Kelly, 37, was convicted of two misdemeanors by a judge, including resisting arrest and making false statements to or obstructing a public officer, after she pleaded no contest.
The Henderson court records also indicate she spent almost a month in jail after her October 28 sentencing by the judge.
KLAS-TV stated in its report they tried to track her down but were unable to do so but it appears she now has grounds to sue the Henderson Police Department considering it was the cop, not her, making false statements.
The Arrest
It all started when Kelly’s sister called police to accuse her of battering her, according to Alward’s report, even though none of the charges against her stemmed from the alleged altercation with her sister.
His body camera footage shows him pulling into the parking lot of the Hopelink Center for Children and Families, a nonprofit that helps families and individuals in need.
Kelly was standing underneath a tree as the cop stepped out of his patrol car and began barking orders.
“Follow simple instructions, go to the front of my car, do it now!” he says while donning black gloves.
When she did not comply within two seconds, he threatened physical violence against her.
“You’re going to get taken to the ground if you don’t listen to me right now.”
“Are you going to shoot me?” Kelly asks as she begins walking towards the front of his car.
“Get to the front of the car, do it now,” he repeats.
“Okay,” Kelly responds, turning around to face him.
“Don’t f–king come towards me!” the cop yells, slapping her hard, knocking her to the ground.
“What are you doing? Get on the ground! Roll over! Roll over! Get on your stomach! Do it now!” Alward orders as he places his full body weight on her, making it impossible for her to roll over.
“Put this hand out!” he continues as he remains on top of her. “Do it now! Do it now!”
“Oh, lord,” Kelly responds.
After more cops arrive, Alward tells his lieutenant that “she had a pencil in her hand and she turned towards me,” which is why he slapped her.
He also claimed in his report to have submitted the pencil as evidence but that piece of evidence apparently was never given to KTAS-TV during its investigation.
He also claimed in his report that he was aggressive towards her because Kelly had a “propensity for violence,” but KTAS-TV’s investigation revealed he is the one with a propensity for violence.
“Alward has been involved in several police shootings, two in which the subjects were unarmed,” Williams states in her report, showing a lengthy use of force report going back years with Alward’s name connected to numerous incidents.
However, when KTAS-TV initially asked for his use-of-force record, the department twice told them it did not exist before eventually providing the records to the journalists eight weeks after their initial request.
The initial email denying their request was sent by Henderson Police Public Information Officer Lindsay Vukanovich, stating “the Henderson Police Department does not maintain a specific record that contains all the information you requested.
But more than two weeks later, Vukanovich sent them another email, stating the following.
“After further review and an internal recheck of our systems, we have identified that a record can, in fact, be produced from our database. This information came to light during a subsequent effort to double-check and ensure the accuracy and completeness of our response to your request.”
Previous Shootings
On August 6, 2019, Alward was waved down by a 7-11 employee who told him he had just been assaulted by a teenager who also stole items from the store.
According to a video obtained by KTAS-TV, Alward spotted the teen running away and began pursuing him in his vehicle, then on foot.
“You better stop!” Alward yelled as he was chasing the teen.“You’re gonna get shot!”
Although the video is much too dark to make out details, 12 shots can be heard after Alward follows through on his threat.
But the teen had no gun. Instead, he was likely holding a personal speaker, he told detectives during an interrogation after admitting to shoplifting and using alcohol, marijuana and Xanax earlier in the day.
Although Henderson police only released the video this year after local media requested it, they held a press conference shortly after the shooting.
“The suspect had an object in his hands, which led to the use of deadly force,” Lt. Kirk Moore said in the press conference. “That object was later discovered to not be a deadly weapon.”
Then, on October 15, 2020, Alward shot 16 times at a man suspected of attempted kidnapping, claiming the man was shooting at him.
On October 18, 2020, local media initially reported that Alward “exchanged gunfire” with the suspect, David Flores.
But more than ten days later, on October 29, 2020, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article headlined, “Henderson officer fired 16 rounds at unarmed man, police say.”
The city of Henderson told KTAS-TV they investigated the incident between Alward and Kelly, the Black woman he slapped and have cleared him of all wrongdoing.
“This matter was reviewed and handled accordingly through our internal affairs process,” city officials said. “It is our policy not to disclose personnel matters.”
Watch the KTAS-TV news segment below.