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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Pia Zadora’s Husband Sues Vegas Police

LAS VEGAS (CN) - Las Vegas police violated an officer's civil rights by firing him after a standoff and eventual arrest of his wife, singer-actress Pia Zadora, the officer claims in court.

Michael Jeffries sued Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Sheriff Doug Gillespie on Oct. 23 in Clark County Court. His wife, Zadora, became famous in B-grade movies during the early 1980s, then had success as a singer.

Jeffries claims his "adult, special-needs stepson" called 911 on June 1, 2013, to report that his mother, Jeffries' wife, had "committed domestic violence upon him."

The Las Vegas Review Journal reported two days later that Zadora then 16-year-old autistic son, Jordan Kaufer, told police his mother assaulted him when he didn't want to go to bed at 11 p.m.

Jeffries says in his lawsuit that he was "off duty, inside his private residence, and legally intoxicated" during the late-night fracas.

"After arriving at the residence, responding officers initially entered the residence without a warrant through an open door," Jeffries claims. The officers then "heard both a male and female voice tell them to leave, and the officers complied."

According to the Review-Journal and CNN, the officers called in a SWAT team, surrounded the house, and after a few hours standoff, arrested Zadora.

Zadora was charged with domestic assault. A Las Vegas Township Judge ordered her to get counseling for impulse control and stay out of trouble for a year or spend 30 days in jail, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Jeffries says he was off-duty throughout the incident, was not charged with a crime and there were "no findings of criminal wrongdoing" on his part.

He claims the defendants "abused their authority" and deprived him "of his federally protected rights under the law when they retaliated against him by extending his probation for exercising his constitutional rights and then unlawfully terminated his employment."

Jeffries worked as a deputy sheriff from July 14, 2011, until his firing on Oct. 29, 2013.

He seeks reinstatement, and compensatory, consequential and punitive damages for violations of the 4th and 5th Amendments.

He is represented by Mary Chapman.

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