Man opens fire on NLV police

Jace Radke

Thursday, Oct. 29, 1998 | 12:13 p.m.

Two Undercover North Las Vegas police officers looking to bust a group of drug dealers were shot at Tuesday night near the Buena Vista Springs Apartments at 2616 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

At about 8:30 p.m. both Metro and North Las Vegas police responded to a call of shots fired at an officer, said Lt. Mike Blackwell of the North Las Vegas police department.

"We had received complaints from citizens in the area about a group of people selling drugs," Blackwell said. "The undercover officers were looking to make a narcotics buy."

The officers came across four men stripping a car near the north wall of the apartment complex and asked them if they had any drugs to sell, Blackwell said.

"The suspects began to accuse the officers of being cops, and one of the individuals pulled out a gun and fired three shots at the officers," Blackwell said.

Three of the men, described as young adults but not juveniles, were taken into custody, but the suspect that fired on the officers is still at large.

"He took off over the wall, and one of the officers pursued him and fired three rounds," Blackwell said. "We are conducting interviews to identify the shooter."

No one is believed to have been injured in the incident, but the officers were in danger, Blackwell said.

If the suspect on the loose is arrested, he will likely face a charge of attempted murder of a police officer, Blackwell said.