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The community of Las Vegas is disheartened after a Metro Police officer reportedly shot a suspect while attempting to stop an alleged kidnapping. This incident marks the third officer-involved shooting in Metro this year.
The condition of the suspect remains unclear, as he was rushed to a nearby medical center in critical condition, but no additional details were provided about the suspect after he was admitted to the hospital.
According to police, the whole incident began at around 12:20 AM on Friday, June 23rd. Boulder City Police received a text message from a woman who stated that she’d been kidnapped by a male suspect. Authorities did not elaborate on how they connected this text message to a specific vehicle, but officers were able to catch up to the alleged vehicle near U.S. 95 and Black Hills Road. A vehicle pursuit ensued when the car noticed the police following them.
By 2 AM, the chase had progressed into Las Vegas. Metro started in on the chase near Owens Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. By the time the car reached an intersection near Lamb and Charleston, Metro forcibly stopped the car.
According to police, a person inside the vehicle seemed to pull out a firearm and point it at another person in the vehicle. Based on earlier reports, the police assumed the suspect was pointing a gun at the kidnapping victim. In response, an officer fired a shot, striking the suspect.
Two other individuals were discovered in the car, and they were taken to a nearby hospital.
In an ideal world, no criminal would ever be faced with deadly force from a police officer. In reality, however, deadly force is not only justified at times but often necessary to protect the officer’s life and the lives of community members.
Under the law, an officer is only authorized to use deadly force when their own life is in danger, or the lives of others are in danger. If a suspected criminal is also using deadly force, then the use of deadly force is considered acceptable under the law.
In the situation outlined above, the police did have reason to believe that the person in the car was a violent offender who had already reportedly kidnapped someone. When police believed they saw the culprit point a deadly weapon at a victim, their judgment led them to pull the trigger. An investigation into whether this use of force was appropriate or not will automatically ensue.
There are situations, however, when police use deadly force against a suspect, and the force is unwarranted. If your loved one passed away or had their rights violated in any way after being accused of a crime, then it might be a good idea to get in touch with a criminal defense attorney about what happened.
If you’re in Las Vegas or a surrounding area, then we can help. Schedule a consultation by using our online form to discuss your situation in more detail with our attorneys.
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