In a case that leaves many Nevadans questioning just how far accountability has eroded, a Las Vegas corrections officer is walking free on bail after allegedly killing a pedestrian while driving drunk—only to return to the scene nearly an hour later with his mother. Maurice Washington, 45, now faces charges in a fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of 58-year-old Elijah Givens early Sunday morning. And yet, he’s out on $250,000 bail, with nothing more than a monitoring bracelet and a court date a month away.

Washington, an individual entrusted with upholding the law, reportedly fled the scene after hitting Givens with his Mercedes-Benz on Decatur Boulevard around 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Givens was in a crosswalk—albeit against the pedestrian signal—when Washington, who had a green light, plowed into him and left him for dead. Police said Washington was speeding and later admitted to having been drinking at a hookah lounge.

Let’s pause here: A sworn corrections officer drinking at a lounge in the middle of the night, then allegedly driving drunk, kills someone, flees the scene, and needs his mother to bring him back? At what point do we stop tolerating excuses and demand higher standards, especially from those who wear the badge?

Witnesses called in after watching a black Mercedes-Benz flee the scene. Debris from the car—including a side mirror with a Mercedes part number—was found in the road, leading authorities to identify the vehicle. When Washington finally returned at 4:15 a.m., he told officers he was scared and didn’t realize what he hit. His car was left undrivable, and he had parked it blocks away, calling his mother to bail him out—literally and figuratively.

Police say he reeked of alcohol and failed his field sobriety test. He reportedly slurred his speech and admitted to drinking that night. Yet here we are, with a man dead, a corrections officer free, and a system that seems more interested in processing than punishing.

This is not just a story about one officer’s failure. It’s a glaring sign of a justice system that’s soft on consequences—especially for insiders. If someone tasked with enforcing the law can allegedly break it with such callousness and face minimal immediate repercussions, what message does that send to the rest of us?

Accountability should not be optional. It should be the very foundation of public service.

Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal

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