Las Vegas Sun

January 5, 2009

Ice cream lady had more than one knife

In addition to the knife that Henderson police allege she threatened them with, Deshira Selimaj had at least one other knife inside her ice cream truck, according to a photograph shown at the coroner's inquest today.

While on the witness stand, her husband, Zyber Selimaj, was shown a photograph of an opened bulk-sized box of Skittles in which a knife was visible. It appeared to be a kitchen knife with a black handle.

Examining the photo while being interviewed by District Attorney Chris Lalli, Zyber Selimaj insisted his wife did not keep knives in her vehicle, and that he had no idea how those knives got there. He acknowledged,

however, that they resembled knives that the family kept in their kitchen.

Lalli then showed a photo from police evidence that showed a similar knife on the ground.

Discussion: 12 comments so far...

  1. The witness Melanie Nelson is enough to make you throw up with her emotional analysis of a complex situation. Just give your observations and keep you untrained conclusions to yourself.

  2. No citizen in our society has a more stressful and risky profession than our police officers that get up everyday, leave their families (not knowing if that will be the last time they see them), report for duty, put on their uniform and gear and go out into this wild city to attempt to protect the peace for all of us - they deserve the benefit of the doubt until all the facts are in and all the evidence of an event is laid openly on the table of justice.

    Certainly, we the people must remain ever vigilant of incompetence and corruption on the part of any and all public servants, but, 99.9% of our cops are some of the finest citizens we have serving everyday in extraordinary circumstances (which few citizens can even imagine) - while being grossly underpaid, under-funded, under-staffed and under equipped!

    Think about it a moment - honestly, we all live in fear in our homes, let alone every time we go out in public (whether some will admit it or not, if you're not afraid now-a-days you're either not aware of how bad things have gotten, or you're an idiot, or both) - and our police have to deal with fear constantly 24/7/365 as they are charged with protecting all of us - and themselves, and their fellow officers!

    No one takes any joy in any tragedy like this - including, and especially, those immediately involved. How we all wish the citizens involved had better understood, and really respected, how important it is to stay calm and follow the orders of the police officers - this tragedy probably would have been, and could have been, avoided!

  3. Wow Johnathan thanks for rewriting the Declaration of Independence there. Nice work. You want to get started on the Encyclopedia next? Post it for us all when you're done.

    A second knife means nothing. This cop is toast. Because he shot a hysterical woman in front of her kids. With ten witnesses. Stick a fork in him. He's done.

  4. She definitely should have listened to the officers commands but isn't she an immigrant, perhaps there were some language barriers intensifying matters. Either way not obeying instructions doesn't justify a police officer shooting her dead because he was irritated or what have you. Sounds like murder to me.

  5. Here we go with the immigrant nonsense again - whether she is or isn't an immigrant is beside the point - anyone who lives and works in the United States should have enough command of the language to do their job without an interpreter -if not then they should go back where they came from until they're willing to learn. I don't understand people who come here and are unwilling to assimilate but rather hang onto the culture they left behind - if it's so great why leave it?

  6. Strange how her own son that was within a couple feet of her said "she had a knife" when he made his report to the police yet witnesses that are 50, 100, 150 feet away saw no knife.

    Going to have to go with the kid on this one. He was in the best position to know the truth.

    Husband says no knives in the truck yet there was knives in the truck from his own kitchen.

    Stop judging with opinions and pay attention to the facts people.

  7. At best it was a serious lapse in judegment by a 23 year old kid. At worse is was gross incompetence. Both reflect poorly on the state of training of Henderson police. The police chief calling him a "hero" is beyond sickening.

  8. THis is a tragedy absolutely. But it was justified. THat is what the outcome will be.

  9. Of course that's what the outcome will be Darth, because there hasn't been a 'criminal' verdict in a coroner's inquest in over 30 years.

    It's a farce of a hearing, where the DA isn't trying to find the facts, but trying to clear the police officer's he works with every day. It's a one sided hearing that's a joke.

  10. Hey manaboutown, Are you not able to recognize that the DA is ASKING the witnesses about their impression of the event? The PURPOSE of an inquest is to determine whether an officer is justified in killing someone... are you so heartless as to believe that non of the witnesses should have any emotions? Would you like to trash-talk Pastor Perez for calling the situation "traumatic"? ALL of the witnesses have made untrained conclusions, with the possible exceptions of the officers who are intentionally detached. Keep your ignorant personal attacks to yourself.

  11. I agree with meanpeoplesuck what he/she said "untrained decisions". Police officers are "trained" to make the safest actions available. Studies have been done and that where they get their information for training. We always can think that things should have been differently, but unfortunately history has taught us that it doesn't work.

  12. All I want to know is why cant you shoot pepole in the knee caps this will put anybody down in a second.Come on she had a knife man not a gun if she had a gun I could understand that this sounds like the guy that threw rocks at a officer last year and they shoot and killed him
    man must have been some big rocks.What is wrong with us when we shoot a poor ice cream lady.She was our ice cream lady and she was a real nice person and we will miss her

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