Henderson police ID officer who shot unarmed teen suspect
The Henderson Police Department on Friday identified the officer who shot an unarmed 15-year-old boy Tuesday night after an attempted robbery.
Officer Scott Alward shot the teenager, who was suspected of robbing the 7-Eleven at 1453 Boulder Highway, police said. Alward has been placed on administrative leave as the shooting is investigated.
Alward, who has worked for the Henderson Police Department since July 2014, said he saw an “object” in the suspect’s hand, police officials said at a news conference Wednesday. Police said officers later determined that the object was not a “deadly weapon.”
The teen was shot in the arm and is expected to survive. Police said he was released from Henderson Hospital and taken into custody Wednesday.
An officer, identified Friday as Alward, was flagged down by two 7-Eleven employees just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night, and informed that the store had been robbed. Police said dispatchers received a 911 call reporting the robbery around the same time.
The officer chased the teen down, asked him to show his hands and, at the sight of the object, fired his weapon, police said.
The teen has been charged with robbery and resisting arrest, according to police.
Tuesday night marked the department’s third police shooting this year, none of which have been fatal, according to records maintained by the Review-Journal.
Contact Alexis Egeland at aegeland@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexis_egeland on Twitter.