Officer kills gun-toting man in wheelchair

Jen Lawson

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004 | 11:04 a.m.

A Metro Police officer this morning shot and killed a man in a wheelchair who allegedly threatened the officer with a large-caliber handgun.

Capt. Tom Lozich of Metro's robbery and homicide section said police were called to a home in the 6600 block of Crown Rock Court at 6:30 a.m. to investigate reports of domestic violence.

When the two officers arrived at the house, located in the Promontory development near Robindale Road and Rainbow Boulevard, they found a man in the garage with a gun.

No one else appeared to be at the house, police said.

The officers told the man to drop the gun, but he refused and allegedly began threatening them, Lozich said. The officers said the man pointed the gun at the officers, so one of them shot him, Lozich said.

Police would not say this morning whether the domestic violence complaint came from within the house where the man was shot.

Although the man was in a wheelchair, Lozich said he did not believe he was completely wheelchair-bound. He said he was not yet able to release the man's age and name.

Police said they are checking whether there is a history of domestic violence at the home. The neighborhood is quiet, with large houses sitting on small lots.

Sierra Vista High School, a middle school and an elementary school are all nearby and children were waiting at bus stops when the shooting occurred.

Leanne Horton and her neighbor Pam, who declined to give her last name, were standing outside looking down the street where police had blocked off traffic with crime scene tape.

"My son left for school at 7:30 and a neighbor said, 'I'll drive him to school, somebody's been shot,' " Horton said.

When they found out it was an officer-involved shooting, they said they were relieved that a killer was not on the loose.

"I'm glad it's not that," Pam said.

"We feel better because there has been home invasions and other stuff going on in Las Vegas," Horton said.