Stolen tow truck, barricade lead to police shooting in east valley
Las Vegas police Wednesday night shot an armed man who stole a tow truck and barricaded inside an east valley residence before attempting to flee on a motorcycle.
At around 3:35 p.m., officers responded near Nellis Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue after reports of a man with a gun in a confrontation with another person, according to Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Joshua Martinez.
The man, Martinez said, stole a tow truck in the same area and a police helicopter followed the truck until it reached the 5700 block of Baffy Circle, near Sloan Lane and Sahara Avenue. The man barricaded inside a home causing SWAT officers to respond.
“The suspect fled out of the garage on a motorcycle (and) armed with a firearm,” Martinez said.
Officers used low lethal weapons to knock the man off the motorcycle, Martinez said, but he continued running with the gun and pointed it at officers. An officer fired at the man, who was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.
Martinez said around 12:15 a.m. that the man’s condition was unknown. He said no officers were injured.
Metro has investigated eight police shootings and nine total instances of officers deploying deadly force this year.
Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com.