Henderson police officer shot armed man who was approaching unknown home

A Henderson Police Department officer shot a gun-wielding man in his hand and shoulder out of concern that he would enter a Henderson home during a chase late last month, police said in a video briefing.

The pursuit began around 9 a.m. June 20 after police received a call from a residence in the 1800 block of Ward Drive about a man with a gun, police said.

In a 911 call released by police, an unidentified caller can be heard saying “this guy just pulled a gun on me.”

The caller told the operator that the man, later identified as 33-year-old Michael Fretheim, was chasing him down the street carrying his gun and a guitar.

The 911 caller was an employer who had arrived at the Henderson home to pick up his employee, according to Henderson Deputy Chief Itzhak Henn.

While at the residence, “a family member of the employee pointed a handgun at the employer,” he said.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found an uncooperative Fretheim in a nearby apartment complex, police said.

Body camera footage released by police shows the suspect hopping a fence to escape the complex and approaching a nearby home near the intersection of Margarita Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard.

“The immediate concern was that Michael would attempt to gain entry into an unrelated residence while still armed with a handgun,” Henn said.

As Fretheim approached the house, officer Tyler Travers shot him, striking him in the hand and shoulder, according to police. Travers has been employed with the department since 2017 and is assigned to the field operations bureau.

This was the second officer-involved shooting for 2024 by a Henderson officer, Henn said.

The footage shows officers encouraging Fretheim to drop his weapon in exchange for a bottle of water.

“Man to man, I’m going to get you this water, and then you’re going to drop this gun,” an officer can be heard saying.

Fretheim eventually complied and followed instructions to sit away from the gun under the shade of a nearby palm tree, footage shows.

“The crisis negotiation team’s ability to connect with Michael and convince him to surrender undoubtedly saved his life,” Henn said in the briefing.

Fretheim faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting a public officer.

He is also facing separate domestic violence charges, with several appearances in court scheduled over the next couple of weeks.

Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com.