Police department promotes officer involved in body-slamming incident as setback for CCSD Policeforce
In the heart of Clark County, questions are swirling about the leadership of the Clark County School District Police Department (CCSDPD), following the controversial decision by Chief Mike Blackeye to consider promoting Lt. Jason Elfberg. This episode has raised urgent questions about integrity, leadership, and values at the highest levels of the CCSDPD.
On July 1, 2025, Lt. Elfberg was appointed to oversee the CCSDPD’s training bureau, investigations, and evidence. However, public outcry and media coverage relating to his controversial use of force on a student in February 2023 led Chief Blackeye to remove Elfberg from the training leadership role. Elfberg remains in an administrative position within the department but no longer oversees training.
The incident in question took place near Durango High School, where Elfberg was at the centre of a brutal encounter with local students. The video footage, which was later released following an ACLU lawsuit, showed Elfberg slamming a Black student to the ground and kneeling on his back. This led to community outrage, an ACLU lawsuit demanding the release of body camera footage, and a subsequent $1 million settlement approved by the CCSD Board of Trustees in January 2025 to the families of two students connected to related incidents.
Despite the public backlash, Chief Blackeye has not resigned, and the Las Vegas chapter of the NAACP has called for his resignation due to the breach of trust and the potential for Elfberg’s aggressive behavior to become the standard for training across CCSDPD. The Police Officers Association continues to defend Elfberg, claiming he was never charged with a crime or disciplined for his conduct related to the Durango High School incident.
The incident highlights a system that tolerates, protects, and even promotes violence against children who question authority. If Chief Blackeye truly believes Elfberg was fit to train the next generation of school police officers, he should explain that belief to the public he serves. If he cannot or will not explain, then he is no longer fit to lead.
It is important to note that the students involved in the incident did not engage in any threatening, aggressive, dangerous, or illegal activity. The CCSDPD exists to protect students, not to intimidate them. The culture of dishonesty and cover-up surrounding Lt. Jason Elfberg within the CCSDPD is concerning and needs to be addressed.
As of July 2025, no change in the department’s use-of-force policy has been made following the incident. If the CCSDPD is to regain the trust of the community, it is crucial that steps are taken to ensure such incidents do not happen again in the future. The CCSDPD must demonstrate that it values the safety and wellbeing of its students above all else.
- The Las Vegas chapter of the NAACP has called for the resignation of Clark County School District Police Department (CCSDPD) Chief Mike Blackeye, following the controversy surrounding his decision to consider promoting Lt. Jason Elfberg, who was involved in a violent encounter with students at Durango High School.
- The general-news outlet reports that despite public backlash and calls for his resignation, Chief Blackeye has not stepped down, and the incident has raised questions about the CCSDPD's education-and-self-development programs, as well as its crime-and-justice practices, particularly in regards to use-of-force policies.
- Amidst the ongoing controversy, political pressure is mounting on the CCSDPD to address the culture of dishonesty and cover-up surrounding Lt. Elfberg and to make necessary changes in their use-of-force policy to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, in order to regain the trust of the community and ensure the safety and wellbeing of its students.
