Brief escape may mean life term

A felon who slipped from his handcuffs and tried to shoot his way to freedom last year was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison Thursday.

“I had a drug problem at the time. I didn’t want to go to jail,” said 32-year-old Leland Bryant, who added he’s lucky to be alive.

“I’m real thankful to God that nobody got hurt,” he said.

District Judge Donald Mosley sentenced Bryant, who had pleaded guilty to eight counts of attempted murder, as a habitual felon.

Cynthia Dustin, Bryant’s attorney, said he has a long history of methamphetamine abuse and is now on medication.

His previous offenses, which include larceny and auto theft, were not violent crimes, Dustin said.

“This was an attempt to do a suicide by cop, and he reconsidered,” she said.

On Jan. 10, 2006, two bail bondsmen took Bryant to the Clark County Detention Center to have him booked on charges related to grand larceny auto.

They had just parked outside the jail on Casino Center Boulevard when Bryant slipped a hand out of his handcuffs, according to police.

“The bail bondsman set a gun down next to me, and my stupid ass picked it up and started shooting,” Bryant said in court.

He shot at the two bondsmen but did not hit them. They ran toward the jail with Bryant on their heels.

When a corrections officer ordered Bryant to stop and drop the weapon, Bryant fired at him, police said.

Bryant then entered a nearby bail bonds business, kidnapped and robbed two people at gunpoint and tried to steal their car, police said in their report.

Backup officers arrived and prevented Bryant from escaping, but he opened fire yet again, police said.

Bryant then forced his way into a nearby trailer home and shot at an occupant but once again missed, police said.

The resident was able to take the gun from Bryant and escape.

A SWAT team arrived and took Bryant into custody without further incident, police said.

Bryant was booked into jail, this time without incident. He was initially charged with three counts of attempted murder of a police officer with a weapon and three counts of attempted murder with a weapon, police said.

Bryant also initially was charged with three counts of armed kidnapping and three counts of robbery.