NLV cop kills man

Keith Paul

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001 | 11:21 a.m.

A North Las Vegas Police officer shot and killed a young man this morning following a high-speed chase of a stolen car, after seeing what he thought was a gun but turned out to be a toy.

The officer followed the driver and a passenger to a dirt dead-end street, Roberta Lane, off Decatur Boulevard near Rancho Drive, after identifying the car as stolen at Cheyenne High School, Lt. Art Redcay, department spokesman, said.

The officer pulled behind the stopped car and ordered the pair to remain inside. Police say both the passenger's and driver's door opened, and the young men got out of the car.

"The driver exited the car, sort of hunched over with something in his hand," Redcay said. "The officer truly believed what was in his hand was a gun. He yelled to him, 'Drop the gun, drop the gun.' "

Police say the driver continued to turn toward the officer, and when the officer saw a chrome barrel being turned in his direction, he fired two shots, killing the driver.

The gun found lying next to the slain driver appeared to police to be a chrome-colored toy.

The passenger was taken into custody this morning and is being questioned.

The chase started about 8:40 a.m. after police were called to Cheyenne High School after reports of possible gang activity. While police were at the school, a bicyclist reported that a brown car tried to run him off the road.

Police then checked the license plate and found the car, which was still in the school parking lot, was stolen. The driver fled from the school and the North Las Vegas police officer put out a broadcast over the police radio. Another officer spotted the car and began the pursuit.

The chase ended about 8:50 a.m. on Roberta Lane with the shooting.

The two young men were not identified this morning. The officer's name will not be released for 48 hours, per department policy. He will be put on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the probe.

The shooting occurred in Metro Police jurisdiction, however, North Las Vegas police will handle the investigation. The departments have an agreement that they investigate shootings that involve their own officers, regardless of jurisdiction.

This is the first officer-involved shooting by North Las Vegas police officers this year.

Last year North Las Vegas police officers were involved in two shootings within a week. A bicycle officer shot and killed the driver of a car he said was accelerating at him and his partner Sept. 5 in a dead-end street, and on Aug. 30 narcotics officers killed Johnnie Lee Weatherspoon during a drug raid in an apartment complex on Las Vegas Boulevard North.