Motorcycle Cops are a vital part of Las Vegas’ police protection and enforcement units. We see them on their bikes waiting to catch speeders or someone who has run a stop sign or red light, but have you ever thought about the fact that their job also includes stopping the crazies out there who are weaving from lane to lane because they think they can text and drive, keeping drunks off the road to make you safer, coming to your aid if you’re in an accident or if your car breaks down on the road? They are there for your protection and safety.

Meet D.H. Justice, a Vegas Motor Cop for fifteen years, who has written a book “Confessions of a Las Vegas Motorcop” relating 27 stories about his experiences patrolling the Strip and surrounding areas on his motorcycle. The book has many humorous stories that you can hardly believe, and behind-the-scene confessions that share all the down-and-dirty occurrences that we’re never privy to. With chapters titled: “The Heat, The Crack Addict and The Big Fight”, “Officer! There’s a Dead Lady in The Hotel!” and “Hey, Buddy, Put Down That Axe!”, we get a glimpse into his world. SLV met with officer Justice, who claims that he never really had a passion to be a cop. He said it just hit him in college when he took some criminal justice classes. Put that together with his passion for motorcycles and the need for money, he just decided to enter the Nevada Highway Patrol Academy. Following are a few peeks into the book and some questions answered that you’ve probably always wondered about. Patrolling Las Vegas, there obviously was never a dull moment.

“Blond Stripper”
I was the field training officer (FTO) riding as passenger with a trainee who was a true country boy we’ll call “Farm Boy”. Farm Boy stopped a very sexy Corvette for speeding, got out, and approached the passenger side of the car. A few minutes later he returned to the patrol car with a huge grin on his face. “What the hell made you so happy?” I asked. He handed me her identification and it showed her to be a fairly attractive blond with the physical description of what I’d call the “stripper category.” Farm Boy was grinning like he had just opened a highly desired Christmas present. “And the best part is, she’s got on a see-through dress,” he announced with outright enthusiasm. It turned out that the male driver had an arrest warrant, so Farm Boy placed him in handcuffs, seated him in the rear of the patrol car and called for a tow truck for the Corvette. “What about the female passenger?” I asked. He answered: “I guess I’ll call her a cab.” “Good answer,” I replied. Fifteen minutes later the tow truck arrived, but the cab had not shown up. Things were about to get interesting. The blond stepped out of the Corvette and I had to mask my amazement. Yep, that dress was completely see-through. You could see it all, and she knew it! We could tell that she was a “professional” because she lacked any kind of shame over what would embarrass most women. Within seconds, passing cars started honking. I have to admit, she was pretty impressive. We needed to get her out of sight before she caused a pile up. Just then the cab pulled up and Blondie walked over to the patrol car to say “goodbye” to Farm Boy—and let’s just say she didn’t bend at the knee. Instead she spread her legs and gave everyone quite a show. Farm Boy was staring and
I said: “Hey, can we get her in the cab? And wipe that drool off your chin!” Later, after booking the prisoner sitting in the back seat, I had one thing to say: “Only in Vegas, my friend. Get used to it.”

SLV: In your story about the blond stripper, Farm Boy approached the car on the passenger side. When do you approach on that side of the car?
H.D. JUSTICE: That’s an officer’s safety tactic and they use the approach on the passenger side probably 80% of the time. We are out of the traffic on that side, and when we come up on that side we can look through the car and we can see if there are weapons, because the driver’s expecting us to come up on his side. Especially at night, they’re not expecting us to come up on the passenger side, so it’s a surprise, and whenever we have the element of surprise, it’s always in our favor. When I approach a subject in the field, they’ve always got the first move. They know what they’re going to do. I have to react to what they do. I’d say, 9 times out of 10, they have the first move on me, and that’s just reality. I do my best to prepare myself, be quick enough to react to something that someone does, but when you’ve got it in your mind that you’re going to punch me, if I don’t pick up on the signs that you’re going to punch me, there’s nothing I can do to stop you. As we approach we’re reading the body language, the head movements, where the hands are, cause what’s going to kill you?…the hands. So we’re always looking at the hands. It helps. You cannot become complacent.
SLV: Do women try to get out of you giving them a ticket by offering sexual favors?
H.D. JUSTICE: Absolutely! Yes, they do. It starts off like: “What can I do? Is there anything I can do to get out of this?” I tell them: “No, you can go down to court and pay it. You can take care of it through the mail.” Then they’ll say: “No, no – that’s not what I mean.” It happens to every cop. I had one time, and this is nasty, I stopped this jacked-up and customized for off-road pickup truck. The runner for the feet was about chest level with me, that’s how high this truck was. I think I stopped it for speeding and there was a girl driver in the cab. I get her information and go back, write my citation and take it back up to her. I hand her the ticket book and a pen and tell her to sign it. She had a skirt on, and I won’t tell you what she did with the pen, but you can use your imagination, and then she tries to give it back to me. I grabbed the ticket book, ripped off her copy and said: “You can keep that pen!” (laughter) I don’t know if she thought she was going to get out of the ticket by doing that, but that was very interesting.
SLV: How long does it take to complete the Nevada Highway Patrol Academy?
H.D. JUSTICE: It’s a six-month academy.
SLV: Do you then have an additional four weeks of intense motorcycle skills training at Motor School?
H.D. JUSTICE: First you have to spend about two years on patrol to get the experience and understand how to do the job before you go to a motorcycle and learn that. They want you to have a really good understanding of what’s going on out there before they get you on a bike, because when you get on a motorcycle, you’re not only having to think about your officer safety and look for violations, but you’re also worried about how to maneuver that bike. You’re multitasking constantly all day on that bike, plus trying to put police work on top of it. It’s really a chosen few who can do that. It’s not everybody that wants to do it either.
SLV: What is the most common reason that some fail?
H.D. JUSTICE: The lack of dexterity it takes to use your hands and feet at the same time, because you’re manipulating multiple controls. Balance issues, and just getting over that fear of leaning that 1,000 pound motorcycle over, plus being able to trust yourself enough to do that. Some just lack the confidence in themselves to be in control of something like that.
SLV: In the book you talk about how weather in Vegas varies so greatly. In your training, do they simulate snow?
H.D. JUSTICE: If you’re lucky enough, it happens during Motor School, and sometimes it rains and we won’t park the bikes like usual. We have to learn, hopefully in a controlled environment, what it takes to ride that bike in the rain. It’s a totally different set of skills that you have to hone.
SLV: What would you say to a young man who was thinking of joining the Motor Cops?
H.D. JUSTICE: I’d tell them that they’d really have to love the outdoors, because they’re going to be in it. You’d also have to have a real love for motorcycles.

“A Day In The Life Of”
The heat was probably the second most dangerous thing about being a trooper in Vegas. We had to work hard to find strategies to keep and stay cool, or literally we would have baked to death. Anyone interested in this particular job ought to know that life patrolling the streets on a motorbike, in the Vegas summer heat, could be compared to rolling your bike into a 140-degree sauna and just hanging out there while you sweat by the gallons. The first step in getting suited up was to put on a ballistic vest made of Kevlar, a fabric with tightly woven fibers designed to protect, rather than to breathe. Next came the navy-blue uniform that absorbed and trapped the heat. That was followed by pulling on nearly knee-high, black leather motor boots and a duty belt containing: a side arm, pepper spray, an expandable baton, a radio, a tazer gun, handcuffs, extra magazines and keys. Finally, a helmet and gloves complete the uniform.

SLV: If heat is the second most dangerous thing an officer faces, what is the most dangerous situation he faces?
H.D. JUSTICE: Statistically, the most dangerous thing an officer can face is a traffic stop, because there are so many unknowns. Being on the Highway Patrol, we’re faced with the most dangerous thing a cop can do. The car we’ve stopped is someone’s property. It’s like an extension of their home. They’re going to have stuff in there, and every time we walk up, we don’t know what’s in there. We’re walking into the unknown every time we approach a vehicle. Unless you’re up on your survival skills and your officer safety, you could get in a lot of trouble. You’re putting yourself in a deadly situation. Most of the time, it’s just a normal person going to work and they’ve made a mistake. We handle it and go on. That’s where you can’t become complacent. You have to be ready every time you walk up there.
SLV: If somebody’s aggressive and they’re coming back to take you out, say they’ve got a stolen car or have arrest warrants, whatever, you have to be ready to get your gun out and be ready to stop them, right?
H.D. JUSTICE: Absolutely! The only thing I have out there to protect myself is what I’m carrying: my gun, a tazer, and an expandable baton.

“Whoops! How Did That Get In There?”
I have a theory about people who visit Las Vegas—they temporarily lose their sanity and/or check their brains at the airport. One night I stopped a small sedan for a red light violation. As I was walking up to the car, I saw a lot of commotion going on in the front seat, like they were either hiding or disposing of something. I approached the passenger side of the car and this person, whom I’ll call “Drunk Dumbass,” rolls down the window. A potpourri of fresh alcohol wafts in my direction. The car turns out to be a rental, and when I asked for the rental agreement, they said they couldn’t find it. I offered a suggestion: The rental company usually puts that information in the glove compartment.” Drunk Dumbass spoke up, “We left it in the hotel room, sorry.” He was clearly lying to me, so I said: “Open the glove box and show me what’s inside.” I could see a panic-stricken look on his face. He slowly reached for the glove box, opened it, and out spilled a large cocktail glass, full of chunks of ice. Dumbass looks at me and declared, “Oh my goodness, Trooper, we had no idea that was in there. It must have been left there by the last renter of the car.” I responded, “Wow, guys! Look! The ice hasn’t even melted—and on a hot summer night like this? That’s incredible!” I wrote a well-deserved open-container citation. Dumbass!

SLV: Why aren’t we getting the rules out to young people on how to react and behave when they’re pulled over by a cop? – Not to reach for something, having their hands where they’re visible, not to get out of the vehicle, and to be courteous.
H.D. JUSTICE: That is a community education thing. Some departments do that more than others. Sometimes cops will go to high schools or rotary clubs and try to talk to the community about those things. Unfortunately, in today’s society, people challenge authority more than they used to. They don’t respect it as much. I’m saying this from experience. It’s gotten worse over the years. I don’t mind people questioning to a certain extent, but they should be respectful and not demeaning. Rule number one for all drivers: Never get out of the vehicle when you’ve been pulled over. It compromises a trooper’s safety.
SLV: Do limos ever get stopped?
H.D. JUSTICE: Oh yeah.
SLV: Do you ever stop pedestrians?
H.D. JUSTICE: Yes. If we see some activity on the sidewalk that looks suspicious, or loitering, we’ll stop them.
SLV: When you get to the scene of the accident first and you’re waiting for backup and an ambulance to arrive, are you trained in CPR and how to stop bleeding, and other medical emergencies?
H.D. JUSTICE: We’re all trained in first responder techniques. We can perform CPR, put pressure on a wound, and splint a compound fracture, but other than that, that’s where our medical ability stops. We’re not EMT’s, by any means.
SLV: Will you pull someone out of the car if you think it’s going to burn?
H.D. JUSTICE: You don’t ever want to move someone that’s had a blunt force trauma injury, because you never know that their neck might be broken. If the threat of death outweighs the risk (like the car starting on fire) then we’ll take that risk. There was a plane crash, a small single engine plane. It had taken off and it was overloaded, so it flipped over on its top, and so the cabin was crushed. There were two teenage girls, a female pilot, and a male passenger trapped in the plane. Two other officers and myself were the first ones there. I happened to be the OIC (officer in charge) that day. You could hear all the instruments in the plane still running. The engine was stopped and the propeller was torn off, but the electronics were still running, and there was smoke coming out and fuel leaking out of the wings – obviously, a situation that you’d want to run from, thinking this thing is going to blow. But being part of our job, we went right in. I was able to get one of the doors open and I had one of my officers start shoveling dirt on the exposed part of the engine that was smoking. I had the other officer start looking for the shutoff switches. Everything was upside down, so it was hard to see. The two girls in the back were screaming. They were crushed but still conscious. I got them calmed down and got the male passenger out.
I had to dig through all the debris in the plane to get the pilot’s head out, so she could start breathing again. I stayed in there for at least 20 minutes until the fire department finally got there and they were able to open the frame up enough to get the people out. That was pretty stressful!—especially having them screaming at me to get them out of there and there was absolutely nothing I could do. Believe it or not, everyone survived. I took a big risk, but I’d taken an oath to do this job and the outcome was successful.

During a car chase that started in Pahrump, officer Justice was radioed to put his patrol car at an intersection and try to stop the car being chased before it entered a populated area. The fleeing vehicle, followed by law enforcement with their sirens blaring, came within 80 yards of the intersection before all hell broke loose.

“Gun Play”
“Suddenly, I heard several POPPING sounds. I saw flashes come from the fleeing car. Then I heard the scariest sound I’ve ever heard in my entire life, the “whizzing” sound of bullets flying past me. Holy crap! He’s shooting at me! My training kicked in and I shot six total rounds as he approached me and then another six more shots, emptying my magazine. After we pulled him over we found two weapons in the backseat of the vehicle—a .357 revolver and a small caliber pistol—and there was ammunition scattered around the inside. I was put on paid administrative leave and every bullet had to be accounted for and explained. Eventually I was cleared and the shooting was deemed justified.”

SLV: Every bullet had to be accounted for? Is that standard procedure for all shots fired by cops?
H.D. JUSTICE: That’s just policy. Whenever you fire your weapon in the line of duty, they immediately put you on administrative leave. They take your weapon and inspect it.
SLV: What kind of gun do you carry?
H.D. JUSTICE: A SIG sauer P229. It’s a 40 caliber gun that’s semi-automatic. It’s a very good weapon and very reliable. I’m a firearms instructor and I shoot 100% at the range every time. I go beyond the minimum training, because when I get in a situation like that, I want to be accurate. Even though I’m that good at the range, my percentage of hits on his car was very low.
SLV: Do your superiors understand the stress you’re under?
H.D. JUSTICE: Our supervisors are very good about understanding that when we need some time off, they let us have it.
SLV: Have you ever been hit by a burning cigarette thrown out a window?
H.D. JUSTICE: I’ve never been burned by one, but one of my buddies has been. After that, he took a pair of sunglasses and glued a Marlboro cigarette butt on the upper corner of the glasses. Whenever he’d see somebody toss a cigarette out of the car, he’d pull them over, pull out the sunglasses and walk up to the car pointing to his glasses and go: “Excuse me, is this yours?” (laughter) We all have a sense of humor!
SLV: Is it difficult trying to find bathrooms you can use while on duty?
H.D. JUSTICE: I’m a master at knowing where the bathrooms are. You have to be!
SLV: The public thinks that there’s an end-of-the-month quota for traffic tickets. Is that true?
H.D. JUSTICE: No, it’s against policy and against Nevada law. That doesn’t go the same for my own quota that I have personally. It doesn’t have anything to do with standards that I work under. It’s just my own personal goals. If I go out there and don’t write 100 tickets a month, I don’t feel that I did my job that month. I know that because of my experience and time on the road that I can handle my accidents, do my paperwork, and I can still write 100 tickets, and that’s not even working that hard. I believe in 10-hrs. work for 10-hrs. pay, and whenever I’m out there, I’m going to do that. There’s more than enough going on out there.
SLV: Tell me a story about women that’s not in the book.
H.D. JUSTICE: Recently I was working an event, the Dierks Bentley concert at the Orleans. I’m on the concert floor in uniform handing out free materials. There were thousands of people and I’m leaning over the table, and as I’m handing things out, a couple of girls ran through the back and grabbed my ass. Before I could turn around and see them they were gone in the crowd. I turned to my partner and said: “You’re supposed to have my back, man,” and he said: “I couldn’t stop that!” (laughter)
SLV: Where can people find your book?
H.D. JUSTICE: It’s on Amazon.com. It’s going to be on Kindle and iBook form this fall. You can go to my website: ConfessionsOfaLasVegasMotorcop.com
and also the publisher’s website: 3LPublishing.com. SLV

Issue 65 featuring: Zoe Voss, Jessie Andrews & Virginia Mae