Reno officer who shot student in 2016 won’t face criminal charges

The Reno school police officer who shot and injured a high school freshman in 2016 will not face criminal charges, the Washoe County District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday.

The announcement came more than two years after the Dec. 7, 2016, shooting at Proctor R. Hug High School in Northern Nevada. The 14-year-old student survived a gunshot wound to the chest. Officer Cory Coombes was not injured.

In the announcement, the district attorney’s office pointed to a 36-page investigative report also released Tuesday that detailed Coombes’ actions the day he opened fire.

According to the report, the freshman was threatening another student with two knives in the high school’s courtyard when Coombes made it to the scene.

Before Coombes opened fire, he commanded the student with the knives to stop and drop the weapons. The student was standing about 10 to 15 feet away from the officer when he refused to drop the knives and stated “words to the effect of ‘do it, do it, shoot me,’” the report reads.

Coombes feared for his own safety and the safety of nearby students and faculty when he opened fire, according to the report. His actions were considered warranted under Nevada law, and the case is considered closed.

A statement from the Washoe County School District released Tuesday said that officials appreciated the investigation and were grateful the findings supported the district’s own investigation, which fully exonerated Coombes.

“It is clear that Officer Coombes’ brave and decisive action that day protected students and staff and prevented further injury or loss of life,” the statement reads.

The Reno Police Department led the investigation with assistance from the Washoe County Sheriff’s office and the Sparks Police Department. The freshman was not named in the report because he is a juvenile.

Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3801. Follow @rachelacrosby.