Las Vegas Sun

December 1, 2009

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NLV Police name cops in shooting

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

Two North Las Vegas Police officers involved in a gunfight that resulted in the death of a suspect last week have been identified as department veterans.

Wayne Blackard, 28, has six years of experience with the North Las Vegas Police Department, and Christopher Corrado, 30, has been with the department for eight years, Lt. Art Redcay said. Both officers are part of the department's narcotics unit.

According to police, they were confronted by an armed Johnnie Lee Weatherspoon, 54, Wednesday night inside a Saratoga Palms apartment, 2175 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

Weatherspoon and the officers exchanged shots. Weatherspoon fired four bullets and the officers fired their assault rifles multiple times, police said. Weatherspoon suffered fatal injuries in the gun battle and died at University Medical Center.

One bullet hit Blackard in his left hand and another was stopped by his protective vest in the groin area. Blackard underwent reconstructive surgery at UMC and has been sent home to recover.

This year North Las Vegas Police narcotic teams have served a total of 40 drug-related search warrants. In the 16-year history of the department's narcotics unit, Wednesday's shooting was the first time the team fatally shot a suspect.

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