Retired Las Vegas Metro Police Capt. Larry Burns who ran against Lombardo dies at 61

LAS VEGAS — Retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Larry Burns who ran unsuccessfully against Joe Lombardo in the 2014 race for Clark County Nevada sheriff, passed away from natural causes on Thursday.

Burns was a giant among men in more ways than one and was highly revered by members of the department.

A 27-year police veteran and the longest assigned SWAT commander in the history of the LVMPD, holding that title from 2002 through 2009.

While assigned as captain of the city’s Bolden Area Command, the inner-city of Las Vegas, he was lauded as being responsible for the reduction of violent crime in that area by building trust with the community.  That accomplishment won him a departmental commendation.

Burns retired in 2013 and ran against then Assistant Sherriff Joe Lombardo for sheriff in 2014.

Burns was so highly respected as a commander that the majority of rank-and-file Metro officers supported his campaign for sheriff and he was endorsed by the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union that represents police and corrections officers.

Lombardo had the support of former sheriffs Doug Gillespie and Bill Young.

The race was tightly contested with Lombardo winning 51-49 percent.

One retired LVMPD detective told the Baltimore Post-Examiner that Burns was the kind of cop that had the integrity that Frank Serpico would have admired.

Another retired Metro officer said that he believes if Burns had been sheriff, the October 1 Las Vegas Massacre would have turned out much different, if at all.  He said one of Burns’ favorite quotes was, “If it’s predictable, it’s preventable.”

Burns is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Annie Burns, and their seven children, one of whom passed away before Burns.

Funeral services have not yet been announced.

Doug Poppa

Doug authored over 135 articles on the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas Massacre, more than any other single journalist in the country. He investigates stories on corruption, law enforcement, and crime. Doug is a US Army Military Police Veteran, former police officer, deputy sheriff, and criminal investigator. Doug spent 20 years in the hotel/casino industry as an investigator and then as Director of Security and Surveillance. He also spent a short time with the US Dept. of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration. In 1986 Doug was awarded Criminal Investigator of the Year by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia for his undercover work in narcotics enforcement. In 1991 and 1992 Doug testified in court that a sheriff’s office official and the county prosecutor withheld exculpatory evidence during the 1988 trial of a man accused of the attempted murder of his wife. Doug’s testimony led to a judge’s decision to order the release of the man from prison in 1992 and awarded him a new trial, in which he was later acquitted. As a result of Doug breaking the police “blue wall of silence,” he was fired by the county sheriff. His story was featured on Inside Edition, Current Affair and CBS News’ “Street Stories with Ed Bradley”. In 1992 after losing his job, at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Doug infiltrated a group of men who were plotting the kidnapping of a Dupont fortune heir and his wife. Doug has been a guest on national television and radio programs speaking on the stories he now writes as an investigative journalist. Catch Doug’s Podcast: @dougpoppa1