Suspect shot by FBI had ignored officers’ commands, officials say

By Jackie Valley

Friday, Aug. 3, 2012 | 6 p.m.

The suspect fatally shot by an FBI agent Thursday outside Arizona Charlie’s ignored authorities’ commands and then brandished a weapon, officials said Friday.

The FBI’s Las Vegas field office released a statement identifying the victim as 35-year-old Jerome Burchell, an armed-robbery suspect.

Metro Police confirmed that Burchell was also a “person of interest” in a July 22 homicide at the Shelter Cove Apartments, 2657 S. Decatur Blvd. In that case, 38-year-old Esteban Meza was discovered dead with a gunshot wound to the head.

The agent-involved shooting happened about 3 p.m. Thursday as the Criminal Apprehension Team — a multijurisdictional task force charged with locating some of the region’s most serious criminals — moved in to arrest a man in the casino’s parking lot. The casino is located on Boulder Highway.

Metro Sgt. John Sheahan said a SWAT unit from the FBI was assisting with the operation when an agent fired at the suspect.

Burchell was taken to a hospital and immediately underwent surgery, but he died Thursday evening from his injuries. The armed robbery authorities were trying to arrest him in connection with what occurred May 31, 2011, at a local fast food store, police said.

In a statement, the FBI said a team from the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters will conduct an in-depth investigation of the shooting. The team will coordinate with other local and federal law enforcement agencies in the process.