Elko, NV: Careful Who You Room With

From May 4, 2015  Elko Daily:

ELKO — Initial investigation reveals that a man might have killed another man in self-defense during a fight early Sunday morning.

Elko police are investigating the homicide of Clinton Hopper, 32, who was killed Sunday morning in his girlfriend’s apartment by Frank Criswell.

Criswell, 28, and the apartment renter, Alesha Piccinini, 29, had gone on a date the evening before, Elko Police Lt. Rich Genseal said. The two had met a few weeks ago. They returned to Piccinini’s apartment at about 3 a.m. Sunday.

At about 6:40 a.m., Hopper entered the apartment. He was in a relationship with Piccinini and had a key to the apartment, Detective Dennis Price said.

Then Criswell got up to see who had entered the apartment, Hopper allegedly hit him in the head with a blunt object, which police believe was a skateboard. The two men then began fighting and punching each other, Genseal said.

At some point, Criswell grabbed a .45-caliber pistol that belonged to him and shot Hopper once through the neck. Genseal said at the time, Hopper — a 6-foot, 5-inch tall man who weighed 235 pounds — was on top of the 5-foot, 8-inch tall, 165-pound Criswell and choking him. Criswell claimed he was beginning to black out.

From May 17, 2015 Elko Daily News:

ELKO — Further investigation supports the finding that the shooting death of a California man on May 3 was justifiable homicide, according to police.

Elko Police Lt. Rich Genseal said investigators are not going to pursue charges against Frank Criswell, who reportedly shot and killed Clinton Hopper during a fight in Alesha Piccinini’s apartment.