Henderson officer fires at man in desert area

By Erin Dostal

Friday, Oct. 8, 2010 | 10:32 a.m.

A Henderson Police officer shot at a man in a desert area Thursday night after police say the man raised a dark object in his hand toward police officers.

The man, Peter Terry, 29, of Henderson, wasn't hit by the gunshot, Henderson Police spokesman Keith Paul said. Terry dropped what was in his hand – a cell phone – after police shot at him, Paul said.

The object looked like a gun, officials said, and because he pointed at them, it appeared to officers as a threat.

Police were pursuing Terry because his mother reported at 9 a.m. that he had told her he took several pills in an attempt to kill himself. Terry’s wife, Paul said, told officials over the phone that Terry had told her he would force officers to shoot him if she called police, authorities said.

Terry wasn’t home when police arrived at his apartment on Ramrod Avenue, police said. He had fled, Paul said, and was seen running across Mountain Vista Street running into the desert.

Police spotted him in the desert at about 10 p.m., Paul said. After the shot was fired, Terry was taken into custody with help from a police dog, Paul said, and was later taken to a local hospital.

Terry has been booked into the Henderson Detention Center on a charge of resisting an officer, officials said.

The name of the officer will be released 48 hours after the shooting, officials said. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in cases of officer-involved shootings.