A Las Vegas police officer who placed a fatal chokehold on an unarmed man on the Strip last month has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Police Officer Kenneth Lopera was arrested late Monday in connection with the May 14 death of Tashii S. Brown, 40, who choked to death after he was chased through a Las Vegas casino. Autopsy results showed Brown died of lack of oxygen, or “asphyxia due to police restraint.” Lopera, 31, posted $6,000 bail and was released with an August court date. He faces as much as eight years in state prison. Lopera will plead not guilty to his charges. “Officer Lopera did nothing criminal,” Las Vegas Police Protective Association official Steve Grammas said. “We prepared him for the worst-case scenario, and it came true.” Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said that Lopera has been suspended without pay.
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