In August 2021, Deputy Robert Hanks was involved in an incident where inmate O’Neal Payne was slammed into bunkbeds, thrown facedown, and dragged across the jail floor by a rope attached to his handcuffed wrists. An internal affairs investigation found that Hanks used excessive force and violated the agency’s use-of-force policy. He was placed on administrative leave but returned to work in October 2022. A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed against Hanks and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office in January 2025, alleging excessive force and negligence.
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