Man killed, officer injured in Las Vegas police shooting
Las Vegas police shot and killed a man officials said injured one officer with a knife and threatened another Monday afternoon in the central valley.
The police shooting was the third in a 48-hour span for the Metropolitan Police Department.
Police were called at about 12:40 p.m. for a welfare check on the 2200 block of West Bonanza Road, near North Tonopah Drive, Metro Capt. Kelly McMahill said.
When officers arrived, a manager reported that water running inside an apartment was causing damage to neighboring units, and that the tenant wasn’t answering the door.
As officers knocked, the door opened and police saw a man inside who was “extremely agitated” and yelling at officers, McMahill said. Metro later sent a news release that said the officers opened the door after knocking and not hearing a response.
The man appeared to be holding something behind his back, McMahill said, and police used a Taser on him, which had no effect.
The man began swinging a knife at officers, cutting one of them on the hand, according to the release.
After giving him commands, officers used a Taser on the man again, which also had no effect, McMahill said. McMahill said the man moved toward an officer with the knife.
The officer fired two rounds and struck the man. The man was taken to University Medical Center, where he died, McMahill said. The injured officer was treated at the hospital and released, police said.
McMahill said the Taser might not have been effective because officers were too close to the man when they fired.
The name of the officer who fired his gun will be released in 48 hours, and Metro will release more details about the shooting at a briefing in 72 hours.
“I’m just glad that the officers are OK, and at this point I’m really hoping that things will settle down over the next few days,” McMahill said Monday.
Monday’s shooting came after two other police shootings in Metro’s jurisdiction over the weekend.
Danzel Boyd, a 28-year-old Las Vegas resident, was fatally shot by Las Vegas police Saturday after an hourslong barricade at 210 W. Baltimore Ave., near downtown. Police said two officers, 35-year-old James Ferrante and 48-year-old William Marx, shot at the man.
Later Saturday, Las Vegas police responded to reports of a suicidal man on the 1500 block of Saylor Way, near Jones Boulevard and Vegas Drive. William Orellana, 42, died Saturday night from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck after exchanging gunfire with police, the Clark County coroner’s office determined.
Monday’s shooting marked Metro’s 13th police shooting of the year.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Blake Apgar contributed to this report.
