Former High Desert trainee’s lawyer in talks with AG in deadly prison shooting case

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

8 years ago

Raynaldo John Ruiz Ramos, a High Desert Prison trainee charged in fatal shooting of inmate, make his initial court appearance, Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Regional Justice Court. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @jlscheid)

Carlos Perez, 28, died on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014, at the High Desert State Prison, where he was serving a sentence for battery. (Nevada Department of Corrections)

LAS VEGAS — A lawyer for a former Nevada state prison guard trainee accused in the shotgun killing of an inmate says he’s talking with the state attorney general’s office about resolving involuntary manslaughter of Carlos Perez and reckless disregard charges before prosecutors present evidence.

Defense attorney Joshua Tomsheck asked Tuesday for time to work out a plea deal for Raynaldo John Ruiz Ramos.

A Las Vegas judge set a new court date Aug. 30. Ramos remains free without bail.

The development comes days after a new federal civil rights lawsuit was filed on behalf of another Nevada state prison inmate who says he was blinded by shotgun pellets fired by a guard in April 2015.

The two cases point to a use-of-shotguns policy that was changed in May by the new Nevada state prisons chief.