While Fashionistas was playing inside The Krave, a man was being beaten to death by security guards outside. But the guards have been let off even though the coroner called it a homicide.
Las Vegas- The security guards who killed a man while restraining him outside a Strip nightclub will not face criminal charges, the district attorney's office said.
Peter James Lawrence died of asphyxia Nov. 14 after a scuffle with four guards at Krave nightclub, http://adultfyi.com/read.aspx?ID=6786 near Harmon Avenue. The coroner's office ruled the death a homicide.
After reviewing the case, however, prosecutors last week determined there was insufficient evidence to file charges against any of the guards, Deputy District Attorney Brian Kochevar said.
Lawrence, 26, had gone to the club early that morning to speak to his ex-girlfriend, even though she had a restraining order against him, Kochevar said.
Las Vegas police have said Lawrence had a civil conversation with the woman, but one of her friends asked security to intervene while the woman left.
The guards had a copy of the woman's restraining order and were trying to protect her, Kochevar said.
As the woman left, Lawrence tried to punch one of the guards. A melee followed, and as many as four or five security guards joined the struggle to subdue Lawrence, Kochevar said.
The guards eventually handcuffed Lawrence then realized he was unconscious. They tried to resuscitate him and called paramedics, he said.
Lawrence died at University Medical Center.
The main reason prosecutors didn't file charges was that they could not determine which of the guards was responsible for the death, Kochevar said.
Witnesses could not give a clear account, and a view of the scuffle captured on surveillance video was blocked by a large palm tree, Kochevar said.
The prosecution's decision might have been different if just one security guard had been involved or if the video had been clearer, he said.
Lawrence's role as the aggressor also factored into the decision, he said.
