Rock star happy officer won job back
LAS VEGAS — A Guns N’ Roses guitarist said a former Las Vegas police captain who helped him use the department’s helicopter for an elaborate wedding proposal did nothing wrong and he’s glad he won his job back.
Daren Jay “DJ” Ashba hailed Friday’s decision by a Nevada state board ordering the Las Vegas police department to reinstate David O’Leary to his job.
“When you know you’re innocent for almost two years, it couldn’t be a better day,” Ashba said. “He loses his job because he did something out of the kindness of his heart. He did nothing wrong. We did nothing wrong.”
O’Leary had been criticized for helping arrange a police helicopter ride for his friend so the rocker could propose to then-girlfriend Nathalia Henao in 2013.
Ashba said he asked O’Leary where he could find a private helicopter to use for his wedding proposal and was instead offered a ride in the police helicopter.
The board’s ruling said O’Leary had asked a fellow officer for advice, on behalf of Ashba, for booking a private helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon and was told none were available. Instead, O’Leary was told the department could offer a fly-along in the helicopter, according to the ruling, which also said the participants signed the department’s necessary paperwork to take the ride.
A picture of the couple posted on Instagram about a free ride on the police helicopter stirred controversy.
“I felt horrible because it’s supposed to be an amazing moment for us and somebody lost a job ... They made it seem like we, you know, jumped a fence at midnight and stole a helicopter,” Ashba said.
