Inquest probes fatal shooting by Metro officers

Jen Lawson

Friday, Nov. 5, 2004 | 9:13 a.m.

A Clark County coroner's inquest jury was determine today whether the actions of two Metro Police officers were justified, excusable or criminal in the shooting of a 45-year-old man with severe kidney disease who allegedly pointed a gun at them.

Gary Torsky and Joey Hernandez shot Arcangelito Contreras in the garage of his home in the 6600 block of Crown Rock Court near Robindale Road and Rainbow Boulevard last month.

Hours before he died, Contreras had fired a gun into the air and allegedly hit his 14-year-old son with a hammer, police said.

Contreras' wife called 911 after the hammer incident and ran to a neighbor's house. When Torsky and Hernandez arrived, they found Contreras seated on his scooter in the garage.

Contreras had kidney failure and sometimes used a motorized scooter when he became tired, neighbors said.

The officers told investigators Contreras loaded his .44-caliber revolver in front of them despite their orders that he drop the weapon, police said. When he started to level the gun at them, they opened fire, police said.

Contreras was the 14th person shot by Metro Police this year, Lozich said. Six of the shootings were fatal. Coroner's inquests in all of the deadly shootings determined that the police were not at fault.