Las Vegas police ID officer who shot boy in east valley

The Las Vegas police officer who shot a boy in the east valley on Friday night has been identified.

The Metropolitan Police Department said officer Coleman Barnum, 26, shot the boy, who was holding a gun.

Officers tried to stop two boys for an unknown reason around 10 p.m. Friday on the 4500 block of Lindale Avenue. The boys took off running in opposite directions, police said.

During a foot chase, Barnum said he saw a firearm in the boy’s hand, and he said the boy ignored his commands to drop the weapon. Police said the boy “ran towards a citizen while holding the firearm,” and Barnum shot at him multiple times.

It was unclear how many times the boy was struck, but he was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center with nonlife-threatening injuries.

Barnum, who has been with the department since May 2016 and is assigned to the Southeast Area Command, has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.

Contact Alexis Egeland at aegeland@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexis_egeland on Twitter.