Body camera footage, protest video and statements from participants have renewed scrutiny of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department tactics during a June 11, 2025, anti-ICE demonstration downtown — and prompted at least one participant to prepare a lawsuit after criminal charges were dismissed.
What happened downtown
Police arrested 94 people at the protest near the federal building, but only six were ultimately charged, according to videos and reporting from the demonstration. Among those arrested was videographer Rigoberto "Rigo" Felix, who was tackled to the ground while recording officers. Another attendee, content creator Jose Leos, who filmed and livestreamed portions of the protest while dressed as the Joker, said he and Felix were documenting the event.
| Item | Count / Detail |
|---|---|
| People arrested | 94 |
| People charged | 6 |
| Notable individuals | Videographer Rigoberto "Rigo" Felix; content creator Jose Leos (pepperballed) |
Video from the event shows demonstrators saying they were peaceful as officers arrived. Protesters moved from the federal building area toward Fremont Street, where some continued to film, dance and listen to live music. According to participants, police later deployed tear gas and pepperballs as the crowd gathered near Fremont and 8th Street.
Claims in the footage
Leos told reporters he and Felix "set out to take the pulse of protesters" and to bring awareness to immigration enforcement actions. In footage captured that night, Leos can be heard celebrating the march and affirming its peaceful intent. Participants in the video emphasized free speech and political protest rather than violence or property damage.
"As a child of parents who immigrated here from Mexico back in the 90s, I feel like I have a duty to basically do what I can with what I have to kind of bring awareness to what's going on," said Jose Leos.
Video shows officers ordering protesters to disperse before the use of crowd-control munitions. In at least one widely circulated clip, Felix is seen being tackled while filming — an encounter Felix’s legal team says violated his constitutional rights. Leos said he was struck by pepperballs while documenting the event.
Legal and public-safety consequences
Felix is preparing to sue the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department after a criminal charge against him was dismissed. Attorneys and civil-rights advocates who have reviewed the available footage argue such cases typically focus on whether police actions were reasonable under the circumstances and whether journalists or documentarians were improperly prevented from recording public events.
- Potential claims could include unlawful arrest, excessive force and suppression of free-press or free-speech activity.
- Evidence cited by plaintiffs will include body camera footage, bystander video and contemporaneous social-media posts.
- Metro’s review of use-of-force and dispersal orders could shape any settlement or litigation outcome.
Local elected officials and community advocates have previously raised questions about the department’s crowd-control tactics during large demonstrations. The disparity between the number arrested and the number charged may also prompt inquiries about the criteria officers used to detain demonstrators and how charging decisions were made.
What comes next
The dismissed charge against Felix removes one criminal obstacle for the videographer, but it does not resolve broader questions about police policy and accountability during protests. Any suit filed in state or federal court could request damages, seek changes to department procedures or ask a court to clarify protections for members of the press and content creators covering demonstrations.
Metro has not publicly released a detailed, case-by-case explanation for the arrests connected to the June demonstration, and department spokespeople have previously said officers respond to the conditions they encounter on the ground. How city and county leaders, police oversight entities and the courts respond to the footage and any subsequent litigation will be closely watched by activists, journalists and residents concerned about the balance between public safety and civil liberties in Las Vegas.
As the legal process advances, the video evidence captured by protestors and police will be central to determining whether the department’s actions complied with constitutional limits on use of force and the right to record police activity in public.
