Police: Man armed with knife shot by police near UNLV in stable condition

An officer fired eight shots Tuesday night at a man armed with a large kitchen knife who ran at police near UNLV.

At a Thursday afternoon press conference, Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Sheriff Yasenia Yatomi provided more details about the shooting that occurred around 10:35 p.m. in the 1400 block of East Harmon Avenue, near Maryland Parkway.

Officer Jayce Metcalfe and his partner responded to an apartment complex after 29-year-old Tristan Cooper called 911 and said he had a knife before hanging up, according to Yatomi.

A map of the incident displayed on a screen next to Yatomi showed that the shooting took place in the parking lot of Viva Apartments, 1450 E. Harmon Ave.

Body-worn camera video from both officers played Thursday showed Cooper confirm that he had called 911 and, then seconds later, he ran at officers while holding the knife.

Officers could be heard telling Cooper to drop the knife and to show them his hands before he ran at them.

Metcalfe fired at Cooper, who fell to the ground before getting up and running through the apartment complex. He collapsed in the 1300 block of East University Avenue where was taken into custody.

Police found another knife inside Cooper’s apartment and a pool of blood.

“It is believed he cut himself prior to officers arriving,” Yatomi said.

Yatomi said Cooper was shot four times but did not say where he was struck. He was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center where he underwent surgery and was described as being in stable condition.

Cooper’s only past contact with police, Yatomi said, involved trespassing in 2022.

“We don’t have any conclusive evidence to determine that he was suffering from mental illness,” Yatomi said.

No officers were injured.

Cooper faces two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting a public officer with a deadly weapon.

Court records show he is due in court on Oct. 24.

Metcalfe, 25, has been employed with Metro since 2022 and is assigned to the East Community Policing Division, South Central Area Command.

He has been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of the shooting.

The shooting was the sixth officer-involved shooting for Metro this year, according to the department.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com.