LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man who stabbed an off-duty police officer to death on the Las Vegas Strip has been sentenced.
The incident happened in March 2022.
Police say Freddy Allen got into an argument with Tyler Steffins, an off-duty police officer who was visiting Las Vegas from Washington state, over how a dog was being treated.
According to Las Vegas police, the two argued on a pedestrian bridge on Friday and then met again on Saturday night and got into a fight. Allen stabbed Steffins, who was taken to University Medical Center and died from his injuries.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man stabbed no pedestrian bridge was off-duty police officer
Allen tried to run away from the area but was apprehended by patrol officers and taken to the Clark County Detention Center.
According to court records, Allen agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in February.
On Tuesday, Judge Jacqueline Bluth sentenced Allen to 12 years to life in prison.
Safety on pedestrian bridges has been a hot topic in the valley in recent years. For example, ahead of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas police recommended that privacy screens should be put on the glass on pedestrian bridges.
"LVMPD cited a few occasions where they had crushing crowds to get up to the edge of the street to see parades and other celebrations," Terry Miller, owner of Miller Project Management, told Channel 13 at the time. "They don't want to see that for Formula 1. Therefore, we will have screens so people can't congregate there to see the race."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Formula 1 pedestrian bridges on Las Vegas Strip draw mixed response
A report from UNLV Criminal Justice professor Dr. William H. Sousa showed that from 2018 to 2022, there was a 23% increase in disorderly calls for service on Las Vegas Boulevard and 11% of those calls were on pedestrian bridges.
"For officers, there's a challenge of not being able to see what's happening on pedestrian bridges when they're on foot patrol or on the street below. Even when they are present on the bridges, officers have the challenge to keep the bridge safe. Without this ordinance, they don't have the tools they need to help stop the atmosphere of disorder that is created when people stop on the bridges," Undersheriff Andy Walsh told Clark County Commissioners in January 2024. "For some time, we have been concerned about crowd crush with the events on Las Vegas Boulevard. What we see is when the pedestrian bridges get packed, it's difficult for officers to get on those bridges and maintain order."
Police also said theft was a big issue on the bridges. However, police data from December 2023 showed property crimes were down year-to-date in that area. That included 900 fewer thefts and 300 fewer robberies.
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In January 2024, Clark County commissioners passed an ordinance to prevent people from stopping on pedestrian bridges on the Las Vegas Strip.
According to county officials, the ordinance will effect everyone, including street performers. While street performers won't be allowed to stop on pedestrian bridges, city officials stated the performers would still be allowed to perform on the streets below. They added that pedestrian bridges only make up about 6% of sidewalk space on Las Vegas Boulevard.
County officials also said the ordinance was not intended to target people taking photos on the pedestrian bridges.
The ordinance prompted a lawsuit from ACLU Nevada.
The ACLU's complaint argues the ordinance violates the 1st and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution, provisions of the Nevada Constitution, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In its lawsuit, the ACLU is representing a Nevadan who uses a wheelchair and another citizen who often plays violin on the Las Vegas Strip.
"Making criminals out of ordinary people who stop for even a few moments, like our client who has to stop periodically because she uses a manual wheelchair, is reckless," said ACLU Nevada Executive Director Athar Haseebullah. "It's Clark County's turn to see us in court."
This case is still working its way through federal court with the deadline for discovery set for July 1.