Attorney shot by FBI agents after pointing gun; faces assault charges

An attorney was shot and injured by the FBI on Thursday after he pointed a gun at agents who had shown up to his northwest Las Vegas house to talk to him, according to a federal probable cause complaint.

The FBI said that Matthew Beasley first pointed the gun to his head, before he directed the barrel in the agents’ direction, prompting at least one of the agents to open fire.

Beasley is facing a count of assault on a federal officer following the Thursday shooting in the 5400 block of Ruffian Road, near Ann Road.

Nevada U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield said Beasley was released from the hospital Monday and taken into the custody of the marshals.

A trio of agents arrived at his home at about 1:30 p.m. to interview Beasley for “an ongoing investigation,” the complaint said.

It was not immediately clear what they were probing.

After they made their way through a gate and to his doorstep, Beasley appeared on the other side of the partial glass-doors entrance.

The complaint said Beasley pointed at an agent while “tapping” on his waist.

Two agents wore suits, while a third had on street clothes, the complaint said.

An agent thought the man wanted to see an FBI badge, so the agent pulled back their jacket to show it to him, the complaint said.

Beasley then “stepped into complete view” and pointed a gun to his head, the complaint said.

“Easy, easy,” one agent yelled. “Drop the gun,” shouted another.

In a “sweeping motion,” Beasley then pointed the gun at the agents, the complaint said. That was when gunfire erupted.

Beasley stayed inside and refused to come out, prompting the FBI to summon a negotiator.

The conversation between the two was recorded, the complaint said.

Beasley was heard saying that he had been anticipating that the FBI was going to show up to his house “sooner or later,” the complaint said, and that the agents “did not do anything wrong.”

Beasley’s defense lawyer, Robert Draskovich, declined to discuss the case.

“The facts are unfolding, and I don’t want to comment at this time,” Draskovich said. “He’s got a loving and supporting family.”

Draskovich said he has little information about the shooting and Beasley’s condition.

But the defense lawyer said he expects Beasley will make an initial appearance in court in the next couple of days.

Beasley does not have a hearing date on record.

Nevada Secretary of State records show that Beasley is the president, secretary, treasurer and director of Beasley Law Group.

Beasley, who attended law school at University of Missouri-Kansas City, was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 2006, public records show. His profile shows no history of disciplinary action against him.

Dan Hooge, chief bar counsel for the State Bar of Nevada, said Monday the organization was in the process of gathering facts to launch a formal investigation to see if Beasley will face disciplinary sanctions.

Prior to the shooting, the bar had not received any complaints about him, Hooge added.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on Twitter. Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German contributed to this story.