Cocaine, jail break, inmate death: Henderson city emails reveal new concerns

HENDERSON (KLAS) — A widely circulated release obtained by 8 News Now provides a timeline of events that ultimately led Henderson City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause to fire then-police chief Hollie Chadwick.
The redacted City of Henderson emails reveal new details about several concerns with law enforcement and the fraught relationship between the city manager and police chief. More than a few of the emails are similar to public requests from 8 News Now that have gone unfulfilled for months.
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A Hollie Chadwick for Mayor campaign spokesperson told 8 News Now they have seen the report, and they allege several responses from the former police chief were not included in the release.
The following are several excerpts from the widely circulated release.
On Dec. 9, 2024, Garcia-Vause asked Chadwick to respond to several concerns raised, including cocaine found on police property.
'Regarding a narcotics detective found with cocaine in his desk in October 2024,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'Was he ever drug tested? What is the policy when that happens?'
Chadwick wrote in response that the incident was fully investigated by the police department's internal affairs bureau, which never drug tested the detective.
'No, the officer was not drug tested because he was not under the influence and there was no reason to test him,' Chadwick said. 'This was an unfortunate oversight from an officer who works long hours for our department. In addition, he is part of the narcotics unit, which is subject to random drug tests throughout the year per policy.'
The narcotics detective was described by Chadwick as never failing a random drug test to the best of her knowledge.
On Feb. 5, Garcia-Vause outlined a list of concerns she wanted addressed by Chadwick which ranged from OIS procedure to internal complaints. The city manager ended the email with a series of explanations of how different she would be from former city manager Richard Derick.
'I am hearing many of the same complaints, including – favoritism in promotions and specialized assignments, inconsistent or unfair discipline, inconsistent policy applications or ignoring policy altogether, and a culture of retaliation,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'Just to name a few.'
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Garcia-Vause drew parallels for Chadwick from a speech she watched delivered by LVMPD Deputy Chief Sasha Larkin in which she talked about how she wished she did more after leaving the scene of a battered woman, explaining she didn't 'close the loop.'
'You communicated to me that you do not feel supported by me,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'Please do not misunderstand my concerns and desire to improve the operations and culture of the department as a lack of support. To the contrary, I am invested in ensuring that Henderson has the best police department in the state.'
The city manager explained that as part of her effort to implement operational change and cultural reforms, she would place retired police chief Kristen Ziman to work with Chadwick on a daily basis to determine how to improve Chadwick's efforts.
'To be successful in leading the changes,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'I need you to refrain from immediately getting defensive when I ask questions or whenever a problem is brought to your attention.'
'This is exciting and I look forward to meeting Kristen and collaborating for her,' Chadwick wrote in response.
On Feb. 6, Chadwick responded to a request from Henderson Councilwoman Monica Larson regarding an inmate, J. Chrusch. She apologized to Larson for not responding within the 48 hours required and enforced by state law.
'My apologies that this notification is beyond the 48 hours,' Chadwick wrote. 'I take full responsibility and moving forward it will not happen again.'
On Dec. 2, 2024, the City of Henderson Police Department received a public records request from the Las Vegas Review-Journal seeking names and other information for ICE detainees.
Nine days later, the LVRJ allegedly received full names, inmate IDs, booking and release dates of ICE inmates during the requested timeframe.
Garcia-Vause wrote in an email that she found the release to be 'problematic,' citing a law that she alleged barred Henderson from releasing any such material.
'ICE detainees cannot be treated the same as our other inmates,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'Different laws apply, and we are under different obligations pursuant to our contract with ICE.'
But the concern grew when Henderson was contacted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department about the LVRJ story.
'Metro contacted us to inquire why we would release information about our ICE detainees when the law prohibits us from doing so,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'I do not appreciate these types of surprises.'
Following the release of information to the LVRJ, Garcia-Vause ramped up conversations to merge the police department's public information office (PIO) with the city's office.
'It is important that the City speak to the public with one voice and deliver a consistent message to members of the media and other community stakeholders,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'Having a department PIO division outside of the City's Public Information Office is inefficient and leads to inconsistencies.'
Garcia-Vause asked Chadwick to write up a draft of a transition plan for handing over all responsibilities to the city.
Chadwick wrote in response that she was meeting with city communication director Karina Milani on Feb. 10 to discuss and identify a transition plan.
On Feb. 6, Garcia-Vause and other city staff discussed the best way to solve a 'jail breach' at the detention center on Water Street by an unnamed inmate.
'All gates were secured,' Chadwick wrote. 'He was able to slide thru the razor wire and slide down. As soon as he got to the ground by the maintenance area the cameras spotted him and he was taken into custody.'
Some staff suggested an improvement be made to the wall or the maintenance gates which would include razor wire. Garcia-Vause wrote she would need to see how the razor wire looked given it can be seen from Water Street. Chadwick also characterized the razor wire as a possible 'eye sore.'
'I'm interested in hearing more about the gates and whether or not they were secured,' Garcia-Vause wrote.
Ultimately, a police captain at the detention center suggested a series of fixes, including raising the wall height and setting up a temporary chain link fence, but added the security addition would be an 'eyesore.'
Garcia-Vause emailed Chadwick to clarify what happened during an Oct. 27, 2023, officer-involved shooting. The incident, at the 2300 block of N. Green Valley Pkwy, resulted in Chadwick taking two involved police officers off-site to a fire station.
'Will you please clarify the policy or procedure that governs this,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'It has been stated that there were no body cams, or witnesses with you and that the two officers did not do their PBT (Preliminary Breath Test), nor were they drug tested or counted down before leaving the scene to use the restroom.'
Chadwick emailed Garcia-Vause back that she was checking on the two officers who indicated they needed to use the restroom. The police chief noted the investigative units were not on scene yet, and the overall investigation could take hours.
'I made the decision to have them get in my vehicle and | took them to the nearest fire station, which was two blocks down the street,' she wrote. 'We were there approximately five minutes. We all walked in, they used the restroom, and we responded back to the scene.'
The officers' body cameras were taken to download video from the incident prior to leaving the scene, according to Chadwick.
'This OIS (officer involved shooting) was investigated fully and there were no issues with their PBT results, drug test, or count down,' Chadwick wrote. 'To indicate otherwise is to discredit the integrity of the two officers involved in this critical incident and has zero merit.'
Chadwick wrote that there were plans to purchase a motorhome for critical incidents so officers could use facilities.
Garcia-Vause emailed Chadwick to explain what the response was after a June 2024 SWAT Team retreat in Utah saw a senior officer passing an unsealed alcoholic beverage to a less senior officer.
Garcia-Vause emailed Chadwick asking her to explain the department's response regarding a senior officer who passed an unsealed alcoholic beverage to a less senior officer at a June 2024 SWAT Team retreat in Utah.
'This incident was fully investigated by our Internal Affairs Bureau while adhering to the officers NRS rights and their collective bargaining agreement,' Chadwick wrote. 'Officers did receive discipline, accepted the discipline, and continue to learn from their mistakes and move forward in a positive direction.'
Garcia-Vause wrote that she found it unacceptable that Chadwick and members of the police command team were not attending celebrations involving the city council and city executive staff.
'Showing up for elected officials and colleagues shows respect and builds trust,' Garcia-Vause wrote.
One of the celebrations which the police department did not appear to attend, according to Garcia-Vause, was a party held for an outgoing councilman.
'It was not acceptable that neither you nor anyone from your Command Team was present for the retirement celebration of Councilman Shaw,' Garcia-Vause wrote.
'Absolutely,' Chadwick wrote in response. 'Now that we know the expectations, we will ensure a presence at all these events.'
The retirement topic shifted into apparent favoritism for specific police staff. One example included by Garcia-Vause included a special retirement gun purchased by a deputy chief (DC).
'Deputy Chief Boucher used his position and City email to request his subordinates donate to a retiring lieutenant who was a personal friend of his,' Garcia-Vause wrote. 'The department does not request donations to purchase gifts for all retiring officers, so Deputy Chief Boucher's email gave the perception of favoritism.'
'I have spoke with HR and DC Boucher and he understands that he will not use city email again for this type of request,' Chadwick wrote in response. 'DC Boucher did confirm he did not use any city purchasing power for the retirement gift.'
In an email sent to Garcia-Vause, a Henderson Police Department retired sergeant wrote that they were the victim of continual workplace harassment supported by Chadwick.
'My retirement was a direct result of continual workplace harassment that was supported by Police Chief Hollie Chadwick,' the retired sergeant wrote.
The retired sergeant alleged that they were the lead investigator who completed a 'DUI cover-up investigation.'
'Chief Chadwick inexplicably sustained the involved Officers with low level discipline even though the investigative report established that significant Officer misconduct occurred,' the retired sergeant wrote. 'The Officers involved met the threshold in our disciplinary matrix where they should have all been placed on a Brady list for untruthfulness and terminated.'
Chadwick and the deputy chief were claimed to have turned a blind eye to significant misconduct and allegedly accused internal affairs of an excessive overreach.
'That could be the furthest from the truth,' the retired sergeant wrote. 'Yet it was fully supported by Chief Chadwick when she was asked to explain the decisions she made.'
The email to Garcia-Vause ends with accusations of corruption and poor management, which the retired chief asks to be investigated.
'I am sincerely sorry you had to endure the workplace environment you described,' Garcia-Vause wrote in response. 'I would like to know more about the incident you shared and your experiences in the police department.'
Garcia-Vause thanked the retired sergeant by email and wrote that she looked forward to meeting them.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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