Police officer shot in North Las Vegas listed in stable condition

By Jackie Valley

Published Tuesday, March 27, 2012 | 9:36 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, March 27, 2012 | 2:15 p.m.

A North Las Vegas Police officer shot Monday night is in “good spirits” as he recovers from wounds covering his lower leg up to his face, officials said.

The 36-year-old officer, whom police have not identified, has been transferred to a regular hospital room at University Medical Center in stable condition, said North Las Vegas Police Sgt. Tim Bedwell.

“Some (injuries) are minor; some are more significant,” Bedwell said. “We’re really happy he didn’t suffer more injury than he did.”

Police classified the incident — which resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Christopher Burcham — as a routine domestic-related call that turned dangerous in a matter of minutes.

The incident unfolded about 10 p.m. Monday when four officers responded to a home in the 6300 block of Silver Edge Street, near Centennial Parkway and Clayton Street, police said.

Burcham’s grandparents had called police, indicating their grandson was intoxicated and acting erratically with a shotgun, Bedwell said. At that point, Burcham had not threatened anyone, Bedwell said.

Two officers normally respond to any domestic-related call, but dispatchers sent four officers because a weapon was possibly involved, Bedwell said.

The four officers arrived and met the grandparents, who were unharmed, outside the home, Bedwell said.

As soon as officers knocked on the home’s door to enter, Burcham began firing multiple rounds at “close range,” striking one officer, Bedwell said.

Police have not confirmed where Burcham fired from inside the home, although his grandparents reported he was upstairs, Bedwell said.

The injured officer and his partner officer returned shots — firing multiple rounds — as another officer helped drag the injured officer to safety behind a vehicle in the street, Bedwell said.

A short time later, Burcham emerged from the house unarmed and surrendered to police, Bedwell said. Burcham was not injured by the gunfire nor was anyone else in the vicinity, Bedwell said.

The injured officer was transported to University Medical Center in serious condition, Bedwell said. Police declined to release the exact nature of his injuries, including the number of gunshot wounds.

Police arrested Burcham in connection with two counts of attempted murder and one count of ex-felon in possession of a firearm, Bedwell said. He was booked into the North Las Vegas Detention Center, where he remains without bail.

Police said Burcham had two previous felony convictions — one for burglary and another for an assault with a deadly weapon — in addition to several misdemeanors.

Detectives have interviewed Burcham, who lived with his grandparents, but a motive in the shooting has not been established, Bedwell said.

“This is literally a call we go to every night,” said Bedwell, referring to its domestic-related nature. “... It really illustrates there are no routine calls in police work.

“Everything goes from a normal, routine call to a deadly situation in an instant,” he said.

The injured officer has a family and has been with the North Las Vegas Police Department for four years and nine months, Bedwell said. The other officer who returned fire is a 36-year-old and an eight-year veteran of the department, police said.

Both have been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, standard procedure for officer-involved shootings.

Bedwell said officers have been shot at several times, but this incident marks the first time in recent years that an officer has been struck.

CORRECTION: Police have updated the age of Christopher Burcham to 25 years old. | (March 27, 2012)