SWAT vehicles are shown on Tompkins Avenue near the Orleans resort after a Metro Police officer was shot Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017.
Published Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 | 4:38 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 | 10:15 p.m.
Before turning the gun on himself, a suspect exchanged gunfire with Metro Police officers investigating a report of a stolen phone Tuesday afternoon, shooting one officer in the chest and abdomen, and barely missing the other, whose gun belt deflected a round, officials said.
The wounded officer, who returned fire, striking the suspect, was rushed to University Medical Center by an arriving Metro sergeant who loaded him into his vehicle, McMahill said. He is expected to survive.
The suspect, who hours later was only described as a Hispanic man, was hit at least once by police gunfire but later shot himself while he was barricaded inside a pickup truck, Capt. Kelly McMahill said.
Reports of gunfire sent medics and police in marked and unmarked vehicles charging to the 4100 block of West Tompkins Avenue, northeast of Tropicana Avenue and Arville Street, about 4:15 p.m., McMahill said. Roads in the area were shut down and a police helicopter circled around as the chaotic scene unfolded.
“I got to watch some of the body worn camera (footage) from this incident tonight, and as I stand before you today, I can tell you that we are extremely lucky,” said McMahill at the tail end of a late Tuesday briefing near the shooting scene. “And I feel very blessed that our officers are able to go home tonight and be with their families.”
It started with a report of a stolen phone.
A “savvy” victim whose vehicle was burglarized on Sunday called police Tuesday afternoon to report that one of his stolen phones' GPS sent out a ping from a pickup truck, McMahill said.
Two officers were dispatched to investigate and spent several minutes talking to the suspect, who all of a sudden tried to start the truck to drive away, McMahill said. That’s when the officers began ordering him to stop and get out of the vehicle.
“With no warning,” the suspect pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and began firing at the officers, McMahill said.
The officers retreated and the incident was quickly deemed a barricade, so SWAT officers were requested, McMahill said. At some point an officer was trapped in a possible line of fire, but safely got out of harm’s way.
It wasn’t immediately clear how long the barricade lasted, but at some point, the suspect killed himself.
It wasn’t until about 7 p.m. that investigators determined the second officer had been hit on his gun belt, McMahill said.
About the wounded officer shortly after the shooting, Sgt. Jeff Clark said, “I’m very happy to say — and this is to the family if you guys are watching — your loved one is OK and hopefully will continue to be OK.”
Sheriff Joe Lombardo, speaking after meeting with the injured officer at UMC, said he was in good spirits and with his family.
Further details on the incident are expected within the next 72 hours.
Southern Nevada agencies, such as the FBI’s local office and the Nevada Highway Patrol, sent out tweets wishing the officer a quick recovery.
This was the 15th Metro-involved shooting investigated so far this year, compared to six during the same time period last year.
