Published Monday, Nov. 9, 2015 | 11:43 a.m.
Updated Monday, Nov. 9, 2015 | 2:37 p.m.
Authorities on Monday identified a 55-year-old man shot dead by Clark County School District police, while investigations continued about why he allegedly steered a vehicle toward the officers in the parking lot of a neighborhood park.
James Francis Smyth died of multiple gunshot wounds in the 4:30 p.m. Friday incident at Desert Bloom Park, the Clark County coroner said. The death was ruled a homicide — a finding that doesn't establish fault.
Clark County school police Capt. Ken Young told reporters at the scene that that Smyth was behind the wheel of an SUV that hit a Las Vegas police vehicle several blocks away, and then headed into the park off Maryland Parkway and Wigwam Avenue.
Young said two school police officers who were interviewing two teenagers about an unrelated incident at a middle school pushed the youngsters out of the way and opened fire at Smyth's vehicle as he drove toward them.
Neither the teens nor the officers were injured.
Young didn't immediately identify the officers, but he said they were placed on paid leave pending reviews of the shooting. School officials, Las Vegas police and the Clark County district attorney are conducting reviews.
Las Vegas police Officer Laura Meltzer referred questions about the incident to school police. Young and other department officials didn't immediately respond Monday to messages seeking more detail.
The shooting investigation was complicated by a nearby crash involving a motorist who police said plowed into a motorcycle, badly injuring the rider, and hit a police off-road dirt bike but narrowly missed a police officer diverting traffic in the cordoned-off the area around the shooting.
Keith Richards, 44, was arrested and remained jailed Monday without bail pending an initial court appearance on felony drunken driving charges, according to jail records.
Las Vegas police Sgt. Richard Strader told reporters the injured motorcyclist was taken to Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center with a badly broken leg and serious internal injuries.
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