Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 | 10:15 p.m.
Metro Police have released the name of an officer who shot a man after the suspect allegedly pointed a gun at another policeman Monday night.
Officer Thomas Griffin, 47, has been with Metro since March and is on paid administrative leave during a review of the shooting, which is standard procedure, police said.
Griffin told police he fired four or five rounds at 21-year-old James A. Nelson after a scuffle between Nelson and another officer at The Suites, located at 4855 Boulder Highway, near Flamingo Road, according to a police report.
The two officers were conducting a follow-up to a call received about 8 p.m. of a reported robbery in the 3900 block of Mountain Vista Street, less than a mile away, police said.
They determined the report didn't meet the definition of a robbery, but Griffin and the other officer went looking for Nelson in connection with the incident, police said.
When they arrived at The Suites, the other officer noticed Nelson walking across a parking lot with two females and ordered him to stop and get on the ground, but he didn't comply, police said.
When the officer noticed Nelson rolling up the legs of his pants as though he planned to flee, he grabbed the suspect, police said.
The two were in a scuffle when Griffin noticed Nelson had a revolver in his waistband, police said. Nelson pointed the gun at the other officer, so Griffin fired, striking Nelson, police said.
Nelson underwent surgery at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and remains in the hospital, officials said.
He is expected to face charges of assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person and carrying a concealed weapon, according to a criminal complaint.
The revolver police say he was carrying was not registered, Metro said.
Police ask that anyone with additional information on the case call Metro’s investigation section at 702-828-8452. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com.
This was Metro’s first reported officer-involved shooting of 2015.
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