Teens arrested after shots fired at police

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 | 10:53 a.m.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested this morning after shots were fired at a North Las Vegas police officer during a car chase, police said.

The boy and the 17-year-old driver of the car were arrested minutes later after the car crashed at Lake Mead Boulevard and Simmons Street.

The incident began about 1:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of West Lake Mead Boulevard. An officer tried to pull over a 2002 Pontiac sedan for going 55 in a 35 mph zone and a license plate violation, but the car didn't stop, Officer Tim Bedwell, spokesman for the police department, said.

"The passenger said to the driver, 'You just drive and I'll take care of the cops,' " Bedwell said, reading from the police report.

The passenger leaned partially out of his window and fired one shot in the air, then leveled his .357 caliber revolver at the police cruiser, which was about three car lengths behind. The bullets did not hit the officer's car, Bedwell said.

The brief chase reached speeds up to 75 mph.

The passenger threw the gun out the window at Lake Mead Boulevard and Simmons, a few blocks away. The driver made a left turn from Lake Mead onto Simmons and crashed into a Nissan Pathfinder heading in the opposite direction. No one was injured.

Both boys were taken into custody. They were apologetic, Bedwell said.

"They said, 'I'm sorry officer, I'm sorry I shot at you,' " he said.

Police are investigating a possible link between the incident and a drive-by shooting a few hours earlier, Bedwell said.