Officer named in shooting

Monday, March 12, 2001 | 11:13 a.m.

Metro Police this morning identified a robbery sergeant who shot a holdup suspect over the weekend as Sgt. Paul Pagano.

The shooting occurred about 6 p.m. Friday as robbery detectives were conducting surveillance on a group of businesses near Flamingo and Mojave roads that had been the targets in a recent rash of robberies.

Pagano told investigators he saw a masked gunman enter a Mail Boxes Etc. store in the 3200 block of East Flamingo Road. When the suspect, identified as 25-year old Jeffery Brimite, came out of the store, Pagano confronted him and ordered him to drop his gun, Capt. Dennis Cobb said.

Brimite then raised his weapon, and Pagano fired one shot, which knocked the suspect to the ground, Cobb said. Brimite then got up and began to run toward a neighboring business. He was shot again by Pagano, police said.

Brimite was arrested and taken to University Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition this morning.

A pistol and a revolver were recovered from the suspect, Cobb said.

Brimite is a registered felon on a conviction for burglary, police said.

The most recent Metro Police officer-involved shooting occurred Feb. 5, when a 42-year-old man exchanged gunfire with SWAT officers in a neighborhood near Lamb and Charleston Boulevards. No one was injured by the gunfire, and Steven Burson was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer.

On Feb. 27 Billy Ray Finks Jr.,16, was shot and killed by a North Las Vegas Police officer. Police say the teen got out of a stolen car with a toy gun the officer thought was real.