The City of Henderson has confirmed an active investigation into its senior police command, asking the Nevada Department of Public Safety’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) to lead the review because the allegations concern Chief Reggie Rader and Deputy Chief Matt Murnane. City officials said the probe remains ongoing and has not reached a conclusion about the merits of the accusations. The city did not disclose details about the nature of the allegations.
Third-party oversight and administrative action
Under state law, a ranked peace officer must head disciplinary investigations into fellow officers. In practice, however, Henderson city leaders said they requested OPR conduct the investigation to ensure neutrality when allegations involve the department’s top brass. The city has placed Deputy Chief Murnane on leave while the review proceeds; Chief Rader remains in his role and a message seeking his comment was not immediately returned.
"We derive our authority from the public," Rader said. "So I intend to have a very transparent tenure here as police chief, and that boils all the way down to the officers and everything that we do."
The request for outside oversight underscores the sensitivity and potential community impact of inquiries involving the public safety leadership. Henderson residents have seen several changes at the top of the police department over the past two decades, with chiefs either leaving under pressure or being dismissed — a history city officials have acknowledged during past leadership transitions.
Context: leadership turnover in Henderson Police Department
Rader, who previously served as a deputy chief at the Metropolitan Police Department, was hired as Henderson’s police chief in 2025 after a national recruitment that considered more than 50 candidates. His hiring followed the firing of former Chief Hollie Chadwick by City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause, who cited a clash in leadership styles when removing Chadwick.
Other recent leadership changes include the retirement of Thedrick Andres, who led the department from 2019 to 2023 and announced his retirement months after police unions expressed a vote of no confidence, and the earlier ousting of LaTesha Watson, who served as chief from 2017 to 2019 and departed after a separation agreement and subsequent firing. These episodes have contributed to what some city officials and observers describe as a revolving door at the chief’s office.
| Chief | Tenure | Disposition |
|---|---|---|
| LaTesha Watson | 2017–2019 | Fired after separation agreement |
| Thedrick Andres | 2019–2023 | Retired after union no-confidence vote |
| Reggie Rader | 2025–present | Under investigation (OPR leading) |
What residents should know
The city’s public statement did not offer a timeline for the investigation nor indicate what forms of discipline, if any, could follow. Because the Office of Professional Responsibility is a state-level body designed to handle sensitive law enforcement personnel matters, the involvement of OPR is intended to provide an independent assessment and help avoid conflicts of interest that can arise when internal affairs probes concern top leadership.
- OPR is leading the investigation at the city’s request.
- Deputy Chief Matt Murnane has been placed on leave pending the probe.
- The city has not released specifics on the allegations or a timeline for completion.
As the investigation progresses, residents looking for updates can expect statements from the city and possible disclosures from OPR when appropriate under law. The city’s move to involve an outside agency reflects both statutory requirements for ranked peace officer-led investigations and a desire to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the review process.
Officials did not provide additional comment beyond the initial statement. Media inquiries sent to Chief Rader were not immediately returned.
