Investigators look over the scene where Metro Police shot a man Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011, after the man shot a woman and threatened officers.
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011 | 12:04 a.m.
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Metro Police have identified two officers involved in the shooting of a man accused of shooting a woman along Blue Diamond Road on Thursday and then opening fire on the officers.
Metro identified the officers Saturday as William C. Gibbs, 43, who has been with Metro since May 2002, and John B. Leith Jr., 41, who has been on the force since March 2003. Both are assigned to Metro’s traffic bureau.
Police Lt. Lew Roberts said previously that a man identified as Jose Castro Jr., 29, of Chandler, Ariz., was in an SUV with two male friends and a woman about 2:30 p.m. when a dispute broke out between Castro and the female.
As the argument escalated, one of the men driving the SUV pulled over near I-15 and Castro pulled out a shotgun, police said.
The woman was shot as she and the other two men fled, police said. As the officers arrived, the gunman fired at least one round at passing motorists and shot at the officers, police said.
One of the officers returned fire, hitting Castro, who continued to resist arrest and was subdued with an electronic control device, police said. Metro did not indicate Saturday which officer shot Castro.
Both the woman, whose name still has not been released, and Castro were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Castro was booked in absentia into the Clark County jail on counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm at or into a structure or vehicle.
The officers were placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
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