Police: Allegiant Stadium shooting suspect fired officer’s holstered gun
The man accused of shooting a Las Vegas officer early Sunday during a concert at Allegiant Stadium slid his finger into an officer’s holster and pulled the trigger, firing one round, police said Tuesday.
Lyndon Troung, 28, was ordered held on $100,000 bail early Tuesday. He faces charges of battery with use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, battery with use of a deadly weapon, resisting a public officer with a firearm and discharging a firearm within a structure or prohibited area, according to court records.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure referred to “very reckless, dangerous conduct” while setting bail early Tuesday.
About 1:30 a.m. Sunday, officers who were working security at the stadium concert responded to a “disturbance” involving a man on the 3300 block of Al Davis Way, Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Sheriff Laz Chavez said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Troung was reported to have pushed a security guard and ran away, which prompted Metro officers to run after him, Chavez said.
While several officers were escorting Troung to a holding cell inside the stadium, two officers were trying to fix the “positioning of handcuffs on his wrist” when Troung slid one finger onto the trigger of an officer’s holstered gun and fired a shot, Chavez said.
“It can very well be an equipment issue,” Chavez said. “I spent this morning looking at a number of different holsters, and I have the same concerns that probably everyone in this room has. We’re going to look at that and make some determinations of whether or not we need to discontinue the use of some of these holsters and then certainly go into training.”
One officer was shot in the leg and shrapnel from the Glock 21 .45-caliber handgun hit another officer’s ankle, police said. Both were taken to University Medical Center for treatment and have been released.
Metro did not release either officer’s name or rank, but a criminal complaint filed in the case identified both officers as sergeants. The criminal complaint identifies the sergeant struck by the round as “N. Hamilton.” A Metro roster obtained through a public records request lists a Nolan Hamilton as a sergeant who has worked with Metro since 2002. No other officers with the last name Hamilton are listed in the roster, which was current as of May.
Police released elevator and body camera footage from within the stadium that shows Troung being pinned in a corner by two officers. In the body camera footage, officers could be heard telling Troung to relax at least four times before a loud bang goes off and an officer says, “He’s got your gun,” and, “You’ve been shot.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Noreen DeMonte said in court Tuesday that Troung was visiting from San Diego, and investigators “couldn’t even find a room key on him.”
Police said Troung was hospitalized for “erratic behavior.” Chavez said Tuesday that Troung was still in the hospital but would not elaborate.
Allegiant Stadium hosted its first concert, a performance by electronic dance music artist Illenium, Saturday night.
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