Man killed by police was running down hotel hallway with shotgun, Metro says
A man fatally shot by police on Sunday tried to flee down a hotel hallway with a shotgun after barricading himself in his room for hours, Las Vegas police said Thursday.
The man police shot on Sunday was identified as Cesar Reyes II, 26, said Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren in a news conference. Reyes, according to the Clark County coroner’s office, lived in Indio, California.
After several hours of negotiating, officers used an explosive breach to open the door to the hotel room, Koren said.
When Reyes exited his hotel room, he was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a handgun, Koren said. Reyes ran down the hallway toward officer Zachary Adam and another officer and did not respond to commands to drop the weapon, Koren said.
On Wednesday, police identified Adam, 45, as the officer who shot Reyes.
“(Officers) waited quite some time as he continued to charge down the hallway before they felt they had no choice but to use deadly force,” said Koren.
Reyes’ shotgun, police discovered during an investigation, did not have any ammunition, Koren said.
Metro has not named the hotel, but a map that was shown at the news conference indicated that the shooting happened at South Point.
The hotel was busier than usual, which was a contributing factor in how police responded, Koren said.
“This was in a hotel and casino that was very busy because of a large event that was happening, and so our officers had to take the actions necessary to keep the community safe,” said Koren.
The National Finals Rodeo, a 10-day event, is being hosted in Las Vegas from Dec. 5 to 14 and started four days before the shooting. South Point plays host to NFR-related events.
Police received a call at about 5:05 a.m. Sunday about a suicidal male inside a hotel room in the 9700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South, according to a Metro news release.
Reyes’ family requested a welfare check after discovering a suicide note left in his home in California, Koren said. According to Koren, hotel security tried to enter Reyes’ room to check on him, but heard the sound of firearm being racked.
If you are thinking about suicide, or are worried about a loved one or friend, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org.
