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StumbleBicycle officer identified in Strip traffic stop shooting
Published Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 | 11:32 a.m.
Updated Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 | 2:13 p.m.
Eric Perez
Police shooting
Sun Archives
- Police shoot at SUV after traffic stop on Strip (9-11-2009)
The Metro Police officer involved in the shooting of a sport utility vehicle Friday night on the Las Vegas Strip was identified Monday as 28-year-old Jesse Gerstal. Police on Monday also identified the driver of the SUV.
According to police reports, officers who are part of Metro's bike detail were heading northbound on Las Vegas Boulevard in the far right lane when they saw a black Lincoln Navigator traveling in the same direction and playing loud music about 7:46 p.m.
When the SUV occupants saw police officers, they abruptly changed lanes, swerving across two lanes of traffic and into the turn lane at Fashion Show Drive and Las Vegas Boulevard South, police said.
The SUV then began going south on Las Vegas Boulevard with the bike officers in pursuit, police said. The SUV stopped at Spring Mountain Road and the Strip, with one officer approaching the driver's side, the other the passenger's side.
The passenger's side officer tried to reach in and control the occupant, police said, but the driver drove away in an attempt to flee, running over the officers' bicycles, police said.
One of the officers was grazed by the SUV and then fired four rounds at the vehicle, striking it several times, police said.
Another Metro Police officer took the driver and passenger into custody a short distance away from the shooting scene, police said.
Eric Perez, 27, the driver of the SUV, was arrested by Metro Police on charges of battery on an officer with a deadly weapon and resisting a public officer, police said. He was released from the Clark County Detention Center on Monday. The passenger hasn't been identified.
Officer Gerstal has been with Metro Police since April 2006 and is assigned to Convention Center Area Command.
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To Officer Gerstal and his colleagues: Great job and many thanks for getting two more criminals off the streets. Glad you all were not injured.
Die you bike murdering scum and your passenger too!!! I hope someone called the bike paramedics in time.
I am so glad Metro made them turn down their music.
i questin weather the police should have been wasting there time following the suv to begin with...why try to grab the driver ....just call a car...the injury and charges are shady...there just blowing up the charges to justify the wreckless shooting they did....
Sorry no excuse for firing four rounds on the strip on a Friday night regardless of what they did.
These cops just seem to be looking for an excuse to pull their guns and fire.
Officer Gerstal lacks the judgment necessary to be a policeman maybe that's why he's riding a bike.
I have little doubt that the occupants of the Navigator were up to no good...
However, that in and of itself does not justify the discharge of firearms.
I would like to suggest that the Sun publish the departmental policy regarding the discharge of firearms.
I am sure that either the officer or the public would have to be in imminent danger. I suggest the Sun publish those policies and then report whether or not in their view the shootings were justified.
Lets do a little reporting... All you have done so far is to regurgitate the press release.
did the bikes have their sirens and lights on? just want to be sure
Didn't METRO execute someone New Years Eve for loud music.
Loud music. On the Strip. What did they do, drown out Phantom blaring from the Venetian, or the Bellagio music...or maybe the Fashion Mall's blaring sounds..
And wasn't the excuse for last year's execution also the result of an officer reaching into an occupied drivable vehicle????
It might be time for Clark County to form a Police Academy to properly train Metro in officer safety.
We certainly were in Santa Clara/San Jose 30 years ago!!
Reaching into a vehicle...Jesus, what next??
My suspicions about the perps were right. It's downright disgusting to see these SoCal gangbangers without documents committing crimes on our law enforcement officers.
First metro shoots and kills a local 18 year old man, for playing his music to loud on the strip. Now they are gunning down the tourist. Who's next? Grandma ??
Only if Grandma tries to kill one of the arresting officers. She becomes a target, and rightfully so.
Did the bike cop lose his radio? I've seen 3-5 patrol cars surrounding a handcuffed individual on the strip with bike cops in attendance as well. NO SHOTS WERE FIRED.
To the Las Vegas Sun reporter: - "Another Metro Police officer took the driver and passenger into custody a short distance away from the shooting scene, police said."
How did these Metro officers know to do this? If they were advised by the bike cops why were shots fired?????