Harry Reid’s brother will face DUI, gun charges
Sen. Harry Reid’s brother, Larry Joe Reid, will be charged with drunken driving and a gun charge among others after a run-in with a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper, the Clark County district attorney’s office said Thursday.
He faces one count each of driving under the influence, battery of a protected person, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, failing to comply with an officer and not wearing a seat belt.
Arrest records obtained by the Review-Journal said a trooper saw a black SUV driven by Reid enter a dirt median from southbound U.S. Highway 95 near the edge of the Boulder City city limit and the turnoff to Nelson about 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 2.
The trooper approached the SUV to see if there was a mechanical problem he could assist with, the report said, but the trooper could not understand Reid due to his incoherent, slurred speech. The trooper asked Reid if he was all right several times, and Reid responded by asking if he could leave.
When the trooper said no, Reid cursed at him and began to drive off, the report said. The trooper tried to grab the keys out of the ignition and had to jump onto the running board beneath the driver’s side door to avoid being dragged. The two struggled over the steering wheel, and the trooper pointed his weapon at Reid and ordered him to stop.
Reid responded by punching the trooper on the right side of his face two times, according to the report. He did not stop until the trooper managed to put the SUV into park and throw the keys away from the vehicle. The trooper struggled to get Reid on the ground and in handcuffs and called for backup once he managed to do so.
A second trooper arrived and questioned Reid, who said he was coming from Boulder City, was in an accident and had no idea how he got hurt. The report said Reid had no recollection of his interactions with highway patrol earlier in the night.
Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl