Names of dead man, officer released

Tuesday, May 1, 2001 | 10:20 a.m.

The names of a man who shot at police and the Metro Police officer who killed him were released this morning.

Donald Charles Mettinger, 49, fired a shotgun blast at Officer Keith Borders, 34, Saturday about 8:30 p.m. Borders shot back and killed Mettinger, police said.

Borders, a patrol officer for two years, was hit in the head by several pellets from the shotgun blast. He was treated at University Medical Center and released later on Saturday.

Police are still trying to determine what led Mettinger to fire at police who were called to house he shared with his girlfriend.

A woman called police from 5820 W. Desert Inn Road about a family dispute with Mettinger and said that the man was drunk. While the woman was speaking, the phone went dead. A man called from the house a short time later and made threats aimed at any officer who came to the house, police said.

Officers went to the home and found a man in the back yard. Police said the man started shooting at them, then went back inside the house.

The woman was able to escape from the house through a door that opened into the garage and ran to Borders, police said.

Mettinger exited the house armed with a shotgun and two handguns and fired the shotgun blast. Borders then shot back and killed the man.

Borders is on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of a coroner's inquest.