Jose “Chille” DeCastro
Biography
Jose “Chille” DeCastro is a police-accountability commentator and the creator of the Delete Lawz YouTube channel. On March 15, 2023, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested him while he filmed and commented on a traffic stop in a public parking lot. Body-camera footage later reviewed in state and federal proceedings showed that DeCastro stepped back when first ordered, continued recording, criticized the officer, and was detained after a dispute over how far he had to move.
On March 19, 2024, Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman convicted DeCastro after a bench trial of misdemeanor obstructing and resisting a public officer. Although the prosecutor requested probation, Zimmerman imposed a 180-day jail sentence, and DeCastro was taken into custody at the Clark County Detention Center. The court denied him bail while he appealed.
On July 10, 2024, District Judge Michelle Leavitt overturned the convictions and dismissed the case. Leavitt found that the encounter involved First Amendment-protected conduct: DeCastro had backed up, and the officer had not given a clear distance or location to which he was required to move. He was released after spending approximately 113 days in jail on the overturned convictions.
