Trooper fires shots during car chase in Laughlin
A high-speed car chase that began on a rural stretch of highway Sunday afternoon ended with a trooper firing her weapon in a parking lot near a Laughlin resort, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.
Trooper Jeremie Elliott said the incident began at 4:28 p.m. on state Route 163 mile marker 6. That is when a trooper spotted a Mazda RX8 speeding east. The trooper tried to pull the vehicle over but was unsuccessful, and later the trooper's patrol car sideswiped a highway wall barrier during the pursuit, Elliott said.
A second trooper spotted the vehicle and followed it into Laughlin's casino corridor.
Elliott said that at some point, a female trooper fired three shots near the Aquarius Casino Resort, but no one was struck. Elliott said the shots were fired in a remote location between parking garages.
The Mazda crashed shortly afterward and the unidentified male driver was taken into custody. A female passenger was treated and released from a local hospital after suffering minor injuries. She was not expected to face any charges.
Elliott said the name of the suspect and the identity of the trooper and her status with the department will be released at a later time.
Las Vegas police are investigating the shooting.
Contact reporter Antonio Planas at
aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.
