Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Metro: DUI suspect who fired at officer sought ‘suicide by cop’

OIS

METRO POLICE

A screen shot from an officer’s camera footage shows an Oct. 10, 2018, incident involving Kenneth Busse Jr.

Click to enlarge photo

Kenneth Busse Jr.

An officer-involved shooting last Wednesday that killed a Las Vegas man was a suicide-by-cop ploy by the deceased, Clark County Assistant Sheriff Tim Kelly said today.

The Metro Police investigation determined that Kenneth Busse Jr., 21, was suicidal and intended to die at the hands of police, Kelly said.

Kenneth Pillette and Chad Betts were identified as the officers in the incident. Pillette, a 20-year Metro veteran, fired four shots and Betts, a 19-year veteran, fired two shots.

The incident began at 7:12 a.m. as a three-vehicle collision with injury call near Rainbow Boulevard and Gary Avenue. It escalated when Busse, who was suspected to be impaired, became noncompliant with officers’ instructions, Kelly said.

After twice refusing to take a field sobriety test, Busse fled and retrieved a handgun from a nearby bush. Officials said he had previously placed the weapon there.

Busse then pointed the gun at the officers, to which Pillette fired a shot, missing the suspect. Busse then fired a shot at Pillette to force him to retreat behind a vehicle. Busse’s gun jammed after the lone shot was fired, not allowing him to fire off additional rounds, Kelly said.

Betts then fired two shots at Busse, both striking him and sending him to the ground. Both officers approached and called for medical attention. Busse was pronounced dead at the scene.

Busse would have been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a protected person, assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person and assault with a deadly weapon because two citizens were at the accident scene at the time shots were fired.

Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the review of the incident.

The incident is the 20th officer involved-shooting of 2018 and the 10th fatal during that span.