Las Vegas honors fallen officer Austin ‘Zade’ Abdelnabi at funeral service

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Hundreds gathered Friday to say goodbye to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Officer Austin “Zade” Abdelnabi, who died in the line of duty on Aug. 4 after a masked gunman ambushed him following a 911 call near Tropicana and Mountain Vista.

The procession carried Abdelnabi’s casket from Palm Mortuary in the north to Central Church in the south, with civilians, first responders, and law enforcement lining the route.

Service inside Central Church

Inside Central Church, attendees remembered Abdelnabi as a Marine, a Metro officer, a husband, a son, and a brother.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill described the circumstances of Abdelnabi’s death and the toll it takes on the department.

“There is no disputing that Austin Zade Abdelnabi died a hero,” McMahill said. “A call to 911 of a masked man walking down the street with a gun. Zero hesitation. Zade responded, confronted the armed man, and died in a hail of gunfire. Zade’s partner was there within seconds, returning fire and eliminating that threat.”

McMahill said the loss forces officers to confront a difficult reality.

“When the life of one of our own is taken away so violently, it forces my officers to confront the reality that we work hard not to dwell on — that it could have been them,” McMahill said. “The uniform no longer feels so protective. The danger no longer feels so distant. And the fact that life is so very fragile becomes a very painful reality for all of us.”

‘The person behind the uniform’

Abdelnabi’s brother Ryan spoke at the service, asking those in attendance to remember who Zade was beyond his role as an officer.

“So today, I don’t want to talk about Zade only as a police officer,” Ryan said. “Before he was any of those, he was my little brother. He was Zade. And I want you to remember the person behind the uniform.”

Ryan also referenced a tattoo on his brother’s forearm — an Arabic phrase reading, “Let loose your brutality, but never your humanity.”

“That was Zade,” Ryan said. “And I don’t think those words could better describe him and his life purpose.”

Ryan said his brother was drawn to service by something deeper than duty.

“He was drawn to the service because protecting people wasn’t just a job to him,” Ryan said. “It was part of who he was.”

Tributes from friends and fellow officers

Friends and fellow officers also spoke at the service.

“Having Zade as a friend changed me as a person,” said best friend Dallas Little. “His determination showed me that if there’s something you want out of life, you go after it with everything you have.”

Officer Jonah Singer was Abdelnabi’s partner. He shared that he called Abdelnabi “Knobs,” and said he was much more than just a police officer.

“Knobs wasn’t just an incredible police officer,” Singer said. “He was an incredible husband, friend, partner, brother, and all around human being. He made people feel safe, he made people laugh, and he made life better just by being in it.”

Ryan closed his remarks with a message to his brother.

“I will carry you with me for the rest of my life,” Ryan said. “And when people ask who Zade was, I don’t want to start with how he died. I want to tell them how he lived.”

The service concluded with a final radio call for Officer Abdelnabi, P number 20290.

Background and survivors

Abdelnabi joined Metro in 2023 after serving as a Lance Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was 30 years old.

He is survived by his wife, Sage, his parents, siblings, and family members in South Carolina and Las Vegas.

The Injured Police Officers Fund is accepting donations to support his family and has a fundraiser planned for Saturday.