Metro Police investigate after an officer shot a bat-wielding suspect outside a central valley convenience store, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017.
Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017 | 2:27 p.m.
A baseball-bat-wielding suspect was shot by a Metro Police officer this morning outside a central valley convenience store after he refused to drop the weapon, which he also used to smash the business’s glass entrance, Capt. Robert Plummer said.
The man was shot in his lower body and expected to recover at University Medical Center, Plummer said. The man was suspected in several attempted robberies in the area, he said.
Police about 10:40 a.m. responded to a Terrible Herbst store on the corner of Decatur Boulevard and Vegas Drive where they tracked down a suspect and a vehicle connected to previous robbery attempts in the area, Plummer said.
When officers arrived, the man armed himself with the bat and got out of the car, Plummer said. He was “extremely agitated” and not obeying officers’ instruction to drop to weapon.
After verbal commands failed, police shot the man with a bean-bag round, which was ineffective because the man was wearing a padded jacket, which he zipped up during the confrontation, Plummer said.
At some point, the suspect was shot by an officer as he tried to enter the store by smashing its glass door with the bat, Plummer said. Officers feared for the safety of the employees and customers inside, he added.
Investigators shut down the store and roads in the immediate area as their investigation continued this afternoon. Curious bystanders stood by, capturing images with their phones.
Detectives probed around a green car, which was parked by the front entrance and had its front door open. The store’s glass entrance had a hole through it.
Further details were not immediately available. An expanded briefing by Metro is expected within 72 hours.
