Nevada’s governor found himself pulled over by a Las Vegas police officer on May 15 after allegedly failing to stop at a red light before making a right turn — but he drove away without a ticket after quickly telling the officer who he was.
Body camera footage obtained by the Associated Press shows the officer approaching the passenger side of a light-gray Ford pickup truck and greeting the driver with, “hello, how are you doing, sir?” As the officer began explaining the reason for the stop, the governor cut in with a simple introduction: “I’m Joe Lombardo.”
Gov. Joe Lombardo was behind the wheel, with his wife Donna Lombardo seated beside him in the passenger seat. The officer responded, “I’m aware,” then finished describing the alleged violation — that he hadn’t seen Lombardo come to a complete stop at the red light before turning right.
“Come on, man,” Lombardo replied.
The officer then told him, “You’re good to go, sir. Appreciate ya. Have a good day,” and walked away. The entire exchange took up roughly 15 seconds of a one minute and ten second video.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department — the same agency Lombardo led as sheriff for eight years before becoming governor — confirmed he was not issued a citation, though officials did not offer a specific reason. Law enforcement representatives noted it is standard practice to let drivers go with a warning for minor violations.
Lombardo’s campaign said the governor and his wife were on their way to the airport at the time of the stop. In a statement released Tuesday, the campaign said: “Governor Lombardo spoke with the officer, fully complied with all instructions, and was promptly on his way. He remains grateful for the professionalism of the officer involved and for the service of law enforcement officers across Nevada.”
Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, downplayed the significance of the stop. He said officers frequently pull drivers over, explain the situation, and send them on their way without a ticket.
“It really is a big nothing in my opinion,” Grammas said.
Grammas, whose union had endorsed the Republican governor, rejected the idea that Lombardo received any preferential treatment. He explained that while officers typically ask for a driver’s license to confirm identity, that step wasn’t necessary here since the officer already recognized the governor. He also noted that given Lombardo’s background, there was little reason to run a records check.
“Being that it is the governor, the former sheriff, odds are he doesn’t have warrants, does not have a suspended driver’s license, and so there’s no need to run that person,” Grammas said.
Grammas also pointed out that the governor didn’t announce his title — he simply gave his name.
Edward Obayashi, a deputy sheriff and policy adviser who teaches an ethics and policing course in California, said neither the governor nor the officer did anything wrong.
“We let motorists off with a warning all the time,” Obayashi said.
Obayashi added that the officer likely already knew who he had pulled over after running the license plate, and that the governor introducing himself was simply a common courtesy.
