Metro Police
This body camera image shows Justin Charland, armed with sword, moments before Metro Police say Officer Vincen Segura fatally shot him Tuesday, May 5, 2020, after responding to a disturbance call at a Las Vegas apartment complex in the 3000 block of Sandhill Road.
Friday, May 8, 2020 | 4:58 p.m.
A man wielding a samurai sword claimed he was a ninja and taunted police to shoot him before an officer opened fire, killing him, according to Metro Police.
Officer Vincen Segura fired three shots Tuesday after the man lunged at him, Clark County Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman said at a news briefing today.
Justin Charland, who was armed with a 34-inch sword, died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, police said.
The fatal shooting happened about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at an apartment complex in the 3000 block of Sandhill Road, near Lamb Boulevard and Boulder Highway.
Neighbors reported that Charland, 40, was standing outside his second-floor apartment with the sword and yelling at people below, Zimmerman said.
Charland shouted at Segura to shoot him because he was a ninja, Zimmerman said.
“Come on man, you don’t want to do this,” Segura could be heard telling Charland on body camera video.
As Charland came down a staircase and got within three yards of Segura, the officer shot him, Zimmerman said.
Charland was no stranger to Metro, Zimmerman said, noting officers had responded multiple times to his home and had helped him with mental health resources.
Charland faced counts of obstructing police in 2008, resisting police in 2003 and battery on a police officer in 2003, Zimmerman said. Information on the court disposition of those cases was not immediately available.
Segura, 27, was placed on routine paid administrative leave while the investigation was ongoing.
