School district police officer who shot two men identified
The off-duty Clark County School District police officer who shot and wounded two men Saturday was identified Monday as 29-year-old John E. Evans III. School police Lt. Ken Young said Evans, who was hired in February 2007, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending a Las Vegas police investigation into the shooting.
The shooting occurred at about 1:30 p.m. near Sahara and Eastern avenues.
Gasoline station employee Joe Sullivan said the shooting began while two men walked together on the sidewalk near a Jiffy Lube on Sahara. One man fired four or five shots at the other man, who ran from the shooter, briefly entering the station store for cover before running north on Eastern.
The fleeing man did not appear to be injured, simply frightened, he said.
Capt. Patrick Neville, who oversees the Metropolitan Police Department's Robbery and Homicide bureau, said the shooter then ran south across Sahara to an El Pollo Loco restaurant parking lot, where a dark blue Kia sedan waited for him with two men inside.
Evans was stopped in a civilian vehicle at a red light on Sahara when he heard the shots, saw the shooter running across the street and gave chase, Neville said.
Evans repeatedly identified himself as a police officer and told the gunman to drop his gun, Neville said. The suspect, who was trying to get in the sedan, pointed the gun at the officer, Neville said.
The officer fired multiple times, striking the gunman and another man inside the sedan, Neville said. The vehicle drove off. Police do not believe any shots were fired at the officer.
Las Vegas police later took the two injured men into custody after they sought medical treatment at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, Neville said. Police are reviewing surveillance video from the El Pollo Loco, he said.
On Monday, Las Vegas police spokesman Jacinto Rivera said Mark A. Perez, 36, was arrested in connection with the shooting on charges of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, which means he has at least one felony on his record.
