Henderson Police: 6 officers fired shots, killing armed woman

By Tim Richardson

Published Tuesday, June 8, 2010 | 12:21 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, June 8, 2010 | 11:55 a.m.

Henderson Police say six officers fatally shot a woman Monday night in an upscale neighborhood after two suspects sped toward officers in a car stolen at gunpoint.

Authorities responded at about 8 p.m. to the MacDonald Highlands community at the south end of Stephanie Street. Police spokesman Keith Paul said the suspects, a man and a woman, stole a car within MacDonald Highlands and had pointed a handgun at residents in the neighborhood.

Officers caught up with the stolen vehicle at about 8:10 p.m. after it got stuck on a gravel road at the end of MacDonald Ranch Drive. Police ordered the suspects to exit the car, but they refused, Paul said.

Authorities then negotiated with the man and woman for about 45 minutes, urging them to surrender and leave the car.

"They were told not to put the car into gear," Paul said. "At some point the suspect put the car into gear, into reverse, and drove straight at the officers, leaving the officers with no other option but to fire their weapons."

Paul said six officers fired shots, fatally wounding the woman, who police said appeared to be in her 30s. The male passenger was hospitalized with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, police said.

The man will face charges of armed robbery, burglary and auto theft, with other charges possible, police said.

The suspects are accused of committing a series of crimes in the neighborhood Monday night.

"The initial investigation has determined the pair went on a crime spree in the community including abandoning another stolen car, breaking into a home, confronting community security and carjacking leading to police searching for them," police said in a statement Tuesday.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office will release the name of the driver when she has been positively identified and her family has been notified. Authorities were still working to positively identify the male passenger.

The names of the officers involved in the shooting will be released 48 hours after the shooting, which is standard department policy. The officers were placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.