Man shot by police officer is convicted of attempted murder

Tuesday, June 22, 2004 | 9:42 a.m.

A Clark County jury on Monday convicted a man of attempted murder for attacking a Metro Police officer who shot him.

Michael Carlucci, 34, will be sentenced Aug. 5 on charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon for the Jan. 30 attack on Officer Noe Larios. Carlucci faces five to 46 years in prison.

Larios was patrolling the parking lot of the Sugartree Apartments, 655 Sierra Vista Drive, just south of Desert Inn Road and Swenson Street, when Carlucci drove into the parking lot, according to the police report. Carlucci approached Larios and said he was looking for his son who might be at a friend's apartment, police said.

Larios advised him to go look for him and come back. While Carlucci was gone, Larios ran the license plate of the vehicle Carlucci arrived in and learned the registered owner was born in 1922.

Upon returning alone, Carlucci said it was his car and his name was Captain Smith, a Marine, and gave a date of birth that would have made him 29 years old even though minutes earlier he told Larios he was 33, the report said.

When Larios asked Carlucci to move to the front of the car, Carlucci became angry and walked over to his car where he began "fumbling for an unknown item."

Larios testified last week that Carlucci emerged from the car with a knife and took two steps toward him. Larios said his training as to when to use deadly force called for him to shoot Carlucci once Carlucci got within 21 feet.

Larios shot two rounds at Carlucci before disarming him. Carlucci was taken to University Medical Center, where he was treated. Larios was placed on paid administrative leave after the incident and was later cleared of any wrongdoing.