Fugitive shot by police is identified

By Mary Manning

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 | 3:49 p.m.

Law enforcement officials identified a California fugitive who was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with Metro Police Wednesday night as Jeffrey Martrell Williams, 28.

Williams was sought on a California state parole warrant for a charge of robbery from a case in Anaheim.

Metro Police said today that the officer involved in the shooting was wounded and treated overnight at University Medical Center. He has been released.

The officer's name has not been made public, per police department policy.

Police say Williams crashed a car and shot the officer as he fled from police at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday near Eastern and St. Louis avenues.

A black and white patrol car tried to stop him and another man in central Las Vegas. Officers returned gunfire and killed Williams.

The second suspect has been arrested and is in custody. It is not known if he was armed. Police said Quentin Avery, 26, was a passenger in the green Cadillac with California license plates.

Metro Police gave this account of the incident:

The two men were stopped at Desert Inn and Mojave roads by a patrol car and then sped off. Avery ran away from the car after it crashed into a traffic light control box near Eastern and St. Louis avenues.

As Williams was taken into custody, he pulled a pistol and fired one shot, striking one Metro officer in the leg. Another officer was injured by the muzzle blast, but was treated and released.

Police said that three Metro officers returned fire, striking Williams, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The Clark County Coroner's Office will conduct an autopsy on Williams.

Avery was arrested for obstructing a police officer and booked into the Las Vegas Detention Center.

The officer who was shot in the leg underwent surgery and has been released from the hospital.