Coroner identifies man shot by police after domestic violence incident

By Jackie Valley

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 | 8:40 a.m.

A 35-year-old Las Vegas man fatally shot Friday morning by Metro Police has been identified as Alberto Castillo, according to the Clark County Coroner's Office.

The coroner said he died from multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide.

Police said the man was assaulting a woman in the northeast valley when police shot Castillo.

The two officers involved were identified Sunday as 27-year-old Robert S. Thompson, who was been with Metro since January 2002, and 26-year-old Baudelio Gastelum, with the department since November 2006. Both are in the downtown area command's patrol division.

The incident began when police responded to reports of a domestic disturbance at 7:33 a.m. Friday in the 2900 block of Theresa Avenue, near Washington Avenue and Mojave Road. Metro spokesman Officer Marcus Martin said officers received reports that a man was trying to stab a woman with a screwdriver.

When officers arrived, police heard an altercation inside the house. After entering, they went to a back room and found Castillo assaulting a woman, police said.

Officers gave commands in Spanish and English for Castillo to release the woman, but he didn't heed the officers’ commands, police said. An altercation with officers ensued and police tried to use a Taser on the man twice, but it had no effect, Martin said.

Castillo then reached for an officer’s Taser, prompting police to fire, killing the man. The woman had no serious injuries, Martin said.

The officers were placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard policy in cases of officer-involved shootings.