An officer’s body cam footage shows details of a carjacking and pursuit, which resulted in the death of an officer and the suspect, during a press conference Monday, Aug. 2, 2021. Nevada Highway Trooper Micah May, 46, died after he was struck by a carjacking suspect during a pursuit on Interstate 15 on July 27.
Monday, Aug. 2, 2021 | 8 p.m.
A carjacking suspect intentionally struck a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper and tried to grab the injured officer’s gun before members of law enforcement shot him to death at the end of a chase last week on Interstate 15 in the heart of Las Vegas, according to Metro Police, which is investigating the shooting.
Law enforcement members who opened fire — one trooper and four Nevada Department of Public Safety parole and probation officers — shot a total of 26 rounds on Tuesday afternoon, striking only the suspect, Undersheriff Christopher Darcy said today.
Douglas Joseph Claiborne died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso, the Clark County Coroner’s Office said. Had he survived, the 60-year-old would’ve faced multiple charges, including murder, Darcy said.
Veteran Trooper Micah May, who was flown by Metro helicopter to nearby University Medical Center in critical condition, died two days later. He didn’t sustain any gunshot wounds, Darcy said when asked about the officers firing into a car occupied by one of their own.
The fatal incident unfolded and ended in about an hour midday Tuesday.
At 11:19 a.m., a construction worker reported noticing someone inside their car, and when approaching was threatened by Claiborne with a footlong kitchen knife, Darcy said.
Claiborne drove off, running over the victim’s foot, Darcy said.
It wasn’t clear where the construction site was located, but troopers spotted the stolen car heading south on I-15 near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway about 20 minutes later and tried to pull it over, Darcy said.
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That’s when the chase began. Darcy said the stolen car was being driven erratically from 25 mph to “well over” 50 mph.
In helicopter video broadcast by Darcy, an officer said he’d clocked the suspect at 70 mph earlier in the chase.
In audio uploaded online of police radio, an officer can be heard saying that the car was going 55 mph about 20 seconds before May was hit.
After the crash that sent the trooper through the windshield and “lodged” him inside the stolen car near Charleston Boulevard, it only took pursuing officers less than 2 miles to bump it and box it in near the Sahara Avenue freeway exit, Darcy said
The officers who opened fire said they saw Claiborne reach for May’s gun, Darcy said.
Claiborne and the alleged actions that led to the shooting weren’t shown in body camera footage broadcast by Darcy. Footage did show Claiborne driving recklessly on surface streets, said Darcy, noting that he’d exited the freeway multiple times.
At 12:18 p.m., Trooper Joseph DellaBella fired four rounds; Nevada Parole and Probation Officer Derek Simmons shot 14 times; Officer Garrett Dix shot three rounds, and Officer Luis Villanueva fired four times, Darcy said.
Darcy spoke about the "split-second" decisions they made during shooting, being cognizant that May was out of harm's way.
Asked why officers let the chase go on for so long, being that Claiborne was traveling at relatively modest speeds, Darcy said he “can’t speak for the highway patrol,” but that when law enforcement are pursuing someone, they are trained to use the least dangerous methods to stop a suspect in order to protect their well-being and that of the public.
He noted that suspects who are being pursued typically give up or run out of gasoline.
Darcy said that Claiborne had evaded a half-dozen spike strips before he hit May, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
May’s loved ones and law enforcement family are mourning him as a married father of two, a “consummate professional,” and Medal of Valor recipient.
A candlelight vigil was scheduled Tuesday evening at Police Memorial Park. Funeral services were planned for Friday.
Sun photographer Yasmina Chavez contributed to this report.
