Man who was shot pointed gun at officers, Las Vegas police say
Las Vegas police shot at a man who they said was suicidal and pointing a gun at officers Tuesday afternoon in the northwest valley.
The man was hospitalized in serious condition. Police said it was unclear whether police shot him or he shot himself.
Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Chris Little said police found a gun next to the man.
The man’s family called 911 about 2 p.m., reporting he was suicidal, under the influence of alcohol and acting erratically, according to Metro.
As officers spoke with his family outside the house on the 3300 block of Lingo Street, near North Grand Canyon Drive and West Cheyenne Avenue, the man exited the house and pulled a gun from the bathrobe he was wearing, Metro said.
The man pointed the gun at officers, Little said. He didn’t comply with police commands and an officer shot at him, Little said.
“The suspect retreated back toward the residence,” he said. “Officers then came in contact with the suspect at the residence, who’s laying on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound.”
Little said it was too early in the investigation to know how much time elapsed between the shooting and when police found the man.
The officer who fired his gun was a man, Little said. It wasn’t clear how many times he fired his gun. Metro will release the officer’s identity after 48 hours, and police will provide more information on the shooting within 72 hours, per department protocol.
No officers were injured, the department’s public information office said.
This was Metro’s third police shooting this year. Early morning Jan. 26, police shot and killed a man they said had killed his wife in the southern valley. About 11:30 p.m. that same day, police shot a man who they said was waving a gun just north of the Strip.
Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.