Man police say struck Henderson sergeant with SUV held without bail
A judge ordered that a man accused of striking a Henderson Police Department sergeant with an SUV remain detained without bail, citing “great concerns” about the man’s criminal history.
Johnathan Gaston, 43, was arrested Monday on charges including attempted murder after he struck Henderson Police Department Sgt. Scott Alward with a Jeep, causing Alward to suffer a head injury requiring 11 staples.
Gaston has eight past felonies, three past misdemeanors and two failures to appear in court, Justice of the Peace Stephen George said in court Wednesday morning.
A judge previously ordered electronic monitoring for Gaston in a separate case and issued an arrest warrant against him after he failed to appear in court on charges including carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and driving under the influence.
On Monday afternoon, police were alerted to a stolen license plate affixed to the SUV detected by a license plate reader in the area of East Lake Mead Parkway and Boulder Highway.
After police located the vehicle in the parking lot of a Panda Express, a collision and shooting ensued. As the Jeep began accelerating toward Alward, who was standing near the driver’s side door of his patrol car, Alward unholstered his gun and fired several rounds at the Jeep.
The driver, Gaston, was later found with a gunshot wound to his arm after fleeing the parking lot. He appeared in court Wednesday morning with his right arm in a black sling.
His girlfriend, Jeanna Domingo, attended the hearing alongside his friend Rachel May. She said that the car he was driving was her car, which she had just bought, and that she didn’t know why the plate would have been labeled as stolen.
“He’s a good guy,” Domingo said. Gaston shed tears in court.
Gaston has been a Las Vegas resident since 2011 and worked at the Flamingo, public defender Rob Schmidt said in court. Gaston has two children, Schmidt said.
Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @estelleatkinson.bsky.social on Bluesky and @estellelilym on X.