Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Prosecutor: Man who shot at police wants to make a plea deal

Judge resets preliminary hearing for 24-year-old man arrested on attempted murder charge

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David Torres

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Metro Police took a man and woman into custody Tuesday after authorities say the man shot at police officers from his car during a police chase in the northeast valley.

A 24-year-old man who allegedly shot at Metro Police in mid-March while leading them on a high-speed chase through the northeast valley is interested in negotiating a plea agreement, a Las Vegas Justice Court judge was told this morning.

David Torres, who allegedly told police he was a gang member and carried a gun for protection, was to have had his preliminary hearing this morning on several felony charges, including attempted murder, in connection with the case.

However, Chief Deputy District Attorney Roy Nelson, who heads the district attorney’s gun crimes unit, asked Judge William Jansen if they could delay the hearing for about a month to consider negotiations with Torres’ public defender.

Jansen set the new date for the preliminary hearing for 8:30 a.m. May 11.

Meanwhile, Torres is being held in the Clark County Detention Center on $80,000 bail. He is charged with attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, evading a police officer in a vehicle, discharging a firearm at or into a structure, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon.

Outside the courtroom, Nelson said he had not yet talked to District Attorney David Rogers nor Torres’ public defender about any lesser charges that might be considered if Torres agreed to take a guilty plea.

“According to his attorney, he’d like to take something. We’ll have to see,” Nelson said.

The alleged shooting/chase incident took place during the afternoon of March 15, when police say Torres refused to pull over for a traffic stop after an officer caught him speeding and running a red light near Bonanza Road and Hollywood Boulevard, according to a police report.

Torres then shot at another officer who tried to pull him over, police said. The bullet struck the driver's side of the patrol car near the windshield, but the officer wasn't struck.

Police used a driving maneuver to stop Torres' Dodge van, at which point Torres jumped out and wrestled with officers until he was captured, police said. The pursuit ended in the 4900 block of Cartier Avenue, about 4 1/2 miles from the initial attempted traffic stop.

One officer suffered an injury to his ear during the struggle and was taken to University Medical Center, officials said.

Investigators questioned a three-months-pregnant woman riding with Torres, who told police she and Torres were en route to Taco Bell in his sister's van. Brittany Reynolds, 21, didn't realize he was carrying a gun, according to the arrest report.

Police arrested Reynolds for a probation violation, officials said.

In 2007, Torres was convicted of battery with bodily harm and burglary, both felonies that were committed in North Las Vegas, the arrest report alleges.

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