Medication lack blamed in rampage

Erica D. Johnson and Jen Lawson

Monday, Sept. 29, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

The Nevada Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services is at least partially to blame for Thursday's shooting that left one man dead and two Metro Police officers wounded, the lawyer for the man accused in the rampage says.

James "Bucky" Buchanan, the lawyer for 26-year-old Frank Lyles, said Lyles had been without medication to treat his mental illness for about seven days when the shooting occurred.

Lyles had gone to an appointment at the Nevada Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services on the Tuesday before the shooting but he was refused his medication and his appointment was rescheduled for Friday, Buchanan said.

"It was because of his lack of medication that he went hysterical on Thursday," he said. "Had the state of Nevada given him his medication, this probably would have never happened."

Mental Health division officials could not be reached for a response to Buchanan's allegations this morning.

Buchanan said he was unsure of the medications his client was taking. He said Lyles was on Social Security disability at the time of the shooting.

Lyles' arrest report, obtained this morning by the Sun, says he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was under a doctor's care. He bought a .22- caliber handgun several days earlier to carry out what he called his "dream" to kill someone, the report notes.

According to the police report, Lyles admitted that "he has always wanted to kill a person." On the day of the shooting, "he walked west down Bonanza and passed about 10 people whom he looked at, trying to pick one that he would kill."

He came across the victim, identified in the police report as Kevin Chandler, decided to kill him and shot him in the back, according to police. As Chandler pled for his life, Lyles shot him numerous times, including in the head, witnesses told police.

Lyles allegedly told police after he shot the man, he started walking home to his apartment on Martin Luther King Boulevard. A witness followed Lyles and called 911 on a cell phone.

According to the police report:

A patrol officer pulled up in front of a Levitz furniture store at 91 S. Martiin Luther King Blvd. and approached Lyles, commanding him to put his hands up and lie on the ground. Lyles pulled a handgun from his pocket and ran behind the store, the report says.

Four officers chased Lyles and allegedly found him crouched behind a large trash bin where he reloaded his gun. They told him to surrender, but Lyles allegedly fired numerous rounds at the officers, hitting David L. Petrucci, 28 and Shon R. Comiskey, 31.

The officers returned fire, but their bullets did not hit Lyles, the report says. He surrendered and was taken into custody. He was charged with murder and four counts of murder of a police officer, all with a deadly weapon.

Lyles plans to waive his right to a preliminary hearing when the case is scheduled in Justice Court, Buchanan said. That will send the case directly to District Court, where Buchanan will request a psychiatric evaluation, he said.

Petrucci, who was shot in the head and hand, was in fair condition at University Medical Center on Sunday. Petrucci has been a Metro officer since March 2000, Sgt. Rick Barela said.

Comiskey was treated for shrapnel wounds on his face and released Thursday night. He has been a Metro officer for four years.

Sun reporter

Mary Manning contributed to this story.