Las Vegas police considering fatal shooting of teen as self-defense

Las Vegas police crime scene tape generic (FOX5)
Las Vegas police crime scene tape generic (FOX5)(FOX5)
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 11:17 AM PDT
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says a man who shot a 16-year-old early Monday morning in the west valley did so in self-defense.

According to Las Vegas police officer Larry Hadfield, the incident occurred at about 6:05 a.m. Monday near Flamingo and Fort Apache roads.

Hadfield said an unrelated man was walking in the area and encountered the teen, who he then got into a dispute with. The teen, according to police, pointed a gun at the man, threatening him.

According to Hadfield, the man was lawfully armed and shot the teen “out of self defense.”

No criminal charges were filed against the man and he was not arrested, police said. The case will be submitted to the Clark County District Attorney’s office for review. The original altercation is part of an ongoing investigation, police said.

The Clark County Coroner’s office on Tuesday identified the teen as Christian Murphy, 16, of Las Vegas. His cause and manner of death is still pending, the coroner’s office said.