Judge releases suspect on her own recognizance
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A woman drenched a Las Vegas Metro police officer with gasoline in an incident earlier this week, police said.
Kayla Powe faces charges of battery with the use of a deadly weapon where the victim is a first responder, and assault with the use of a deadly weapon, court records showed.
On June 5 around 9 a.m., a person hailed down a Las Vegas Metro police detective who was getting gas at a convenience store on Fremont Street near Bruce Street, police said. The person told the detective a woman, later identified as Powe, was attempting “to light a fire on the edge of the property,” police said.
Powe was holding a bottle of gasoline and a lighter, police said. Powe attempted to light a cigarette in her mouth, but the detective knocked the lighter out of her hand “due to the proximity of the gasoline,” police said.
Powe then poured the bottle of gasoline over the detective’s head. The detective lost his vision and radioed for help, police said.
The detective told his colleagues “he felt Powe may have had another lighter on her and was in fear that she was attempting to light him on fire as he was attempting to gain custody of her,” investigators said.
A witness told police that she saw Powe in the area trying to light things “on fire with a cigarette or matches,” police said. “[The witness] stated Power appeared to be laughing or giggling while she was starting these fires.”
During an interview with police, Powe said she bought the gasoline to burn down a nearby business, police said.
Judge Elana Graham initially set bail at $13,000, but in a second hearing, Judge Suzan Baucum released Powe on her own recognizance. Details of Powe’s release agreement were not readily available.