Metro police explain why officers fired their weapons in two rec - FOX5 Vegas - KVVU

Metro police explain why officers fired their weapons in two recent shootings

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department explained Monday the actions of officers who fired their weapons in the field last week.

Undersheriff Kevin McMahill held a press conference to address two separate officer-involved shootings from Mar. 30 and 31.

As of Apr. 3, there had been four total officer-involved shootings in the city, three of which were non-fatal.

McMahill said neither of the last two shootings were fatal. He broke down exactly why officers pulled the trigger. 

He played police body camera videos that show the moments leading up to the two separate shootings. 

He said the Mar. 30 shooting involving a 16-year-old, started off as a call to check on a possible prowler. But when police got to the callers house, they heard a burglary nearby.

"The suspect left out the back of the residence he was burglarizing on River Trader Street," McMahill said. "He had a shotgun he had taken from the residence and he began running and jumping walls."

On the other side of the walls were officer Keven Dumesic, his partner and another sergeant.

"Officer Dumesic saw an the suspect come up over the wall holding the shotgun pointed in the direction of his partner and his Sergeant," McMahill said. "Officer Dumesic, fearing for the lives of his partners, fired one round."

That round missed and he kept running.

The teenager was later captured when a resident tackled him and waited for police to arrive. 

"The suspect suffered injuries during the incident as a result of being struck by a baseball bat at the hands of a citizen," McMahill said. "The injuries are not life threatening and the suspect is currently being housed at the juvenile detention center."

The next day, another officer shot a man leaving an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. 

McMahill said a man named Marcus Thomas walked into the AA meeting reportedly drunk and he was armed, but he didn't point his weapon at anyone.

When Thomas left, an officer was asked to check on the disturbance. That's when officials said Thomas pointed a gun at officer James Ledogar.

According to McMahill, Ledogar told Thomas to drop his weapon, he ignored him and Ledogar fired five rounds. 

No one was killed in either incident.  

Both officers involved in the shootings are veterans at the department and have been employed for at least 15 years, McMahill said.

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