A photo of Metro Police officer Shay K. Mikalonis, 29, a four-year veteran of the department, is displayed during a media briefing at Las Vegas Metro Police Headquarters Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Mikalonis was shot near Circus Circus Monday night, June 1, 2020, during a George Floyd protest.
Saturday, June 13, 2020 | 5:48 p.m.
A Metro Police officer who was shot and critically wounded during a George Floyd protest earlier this month is paralyzed from the neck down, according to a note from his family shared by officials on Saturday.
Officer Shay Mikalonis, 29, is awake and on a ventilator at University Medical Center, but unable to communicate with his loved ones, though it appeared like he recognizes them, the family said. The message indicated he could be transferred to a renown spine rehabilitation center.
“We can’t thank the staff of caring professionals at UMC enough,” the note said. “Truly a miracle!”
The family also thanked the community members who showed up Thursday to a day-long fundraiser organized by the Injured Police Officers Fund.
“Words can not begin to express how grateful we feel,” the family wrote. “We as a family want to say thank you Las Vegas for your continuing of Shay.”
Among the supporters are the Vegas Golden Knights, whose players signed a jersey that will be traveling with him to the rehabilitation center. Mikalonis, the family said, is a big fan of the pro hockey team.
The four-year Metro veteran was helping with arrests June 1 on the Strip following a protest that turned unruly when he was shot in the face. He could remain on a ventilator the rest of his life, the family announced earlier in the week.
The bullet, which has since been removed, traveled through his spine before being lodged on the other side of his face, police said.
Police arrested Edgar Samaniego at a nearby motel a few hours later. The 20-year-old told detectives he stepped out of his motel room to notice commotion and tried breaking it up by opening fire.
The bullet traveled about 50 feet before striking Mikalonis in a shooting captured on video, police said.
Samaniego was charged with two counts of discharging a gun in a prohibited area and assault with a deadly weapon.
The protest that night also led to the fatal shooting moments later of an armed demonstrator, who was shot in downtown Las Vegas by Metro officers responding to Mikalonis’ shooting scene.
Police said Gomez, 25, raised a long gun as he ran after being dispersed from a courthouse with bean bag rounds fired by a different officer.
