Suspect in custody after police shooting in downtown Las Vegas

A man who police say was charging at a Las Vegas officer while acting like he had a weapon was shot by the officer Monday afternoon in central Las Vegas.

Police Capt. Carlos Hank said at noon, an officer was on patrol in the 1500 block of North Main Street at Foremaster Lane when he noticed two men fighting. The officer stopped his patrol car, got out and “attempted to intervene and de-escalate the situation,” Hank said.

One of the two men fighting complied with the officer’s commands, Hank said, but the second “became aggressive and started to charge at the officer.”

The officer then pulled out a baton and again ordered the man to stop approaching, but the individual ignored the officer, Hank said.

“While this is going on, the subject retrieved an item from his pocket and holds it inside his hand as if it were a weapon,” Hank said. “The subject continues to charge at the officer, the officer continues to retreat, continues to issue verbal commands to de-escalate.”

Hank said the officer then stumbled and fell.

“The subject continued to close distance on the officer as he was charging at the officer and still possessed an item in his hand,” Hank said. “The officer then retrieved his firearm, discharged his firearm, striking the suspect.”

The man who was shot was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. The officer was also hospitalized with minor injuries, Hank said. Hank would not say during a press briefing whether the individual who was shot was actually armed or what the item in the man’s hand was.

Many people were on the street near where the shooting happened Monday. Several said they saw the two men fighting in the street before hearing the gunfire.

“A couple fellows were scuffling out there,” witness George Slay said.

Witness J.D. Williams said he saw the altercation but not the actual shooting. The person who was shot is a known “bully” in the neighborhood who regularly confronts people, Williams said.

“I wasn’t surprised when I saw the two guys involved,” Williams said. “He (the person shot) almost provoked me a couple of days ago.”

Williams said he saw the two men fighting and the officer approach. The man who was shot appeared to have a stick in his hand, Williams said, and Williams thought the man may have struck the officer with the stick but he wasn’t sure.

“The one guy is always bluffing and bullying,” Williams said.

Kelly McLaughlin was in the area as well and heard gunshots.

“Then I saw this guy running across (Main Street) to the west and I saw him collapsing on the sidewalk,” McLaughlin said.

The shooting is the fourth officer-involved shooting this year, Hank said.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.