Police should’ve used nonlethal force instead of killing woman, lawsuit says

North Las Vegas police officers should have used nonlethal options instead of fatally shooting a woman who they knew to be mentally ill and carrying a knife, a lawsuit alleges.

Felicia Guzman, 43, of North Las Vegas, died at University Medical Center in May 2023 after Sgt. Becky Salkoff and Officer Caitlyn Ebert fatally shot her outside a home in the 1400 block of Basin Brook Drive.

Each officer fired three rounds, and four struck Guzman, police said.

The lawsuit was filed in District Court on Thursday by Guzman’s daughter Angelina Camarillo and Rolly Enriquez, who are administrators of Guzman’s estate, against the city of North Las Vegas, Salkoff and Ebert. It makes four claims of relief, including use of excessive force, wrongful death and violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Salkoff and Ebert’s use of lethal force — which killed Guzman — was unnecessary, unreasonable and unlawful,” the complaint said.

A North Las Vegas spokesperson said it was standard practice that neither the city nor the police department would comment on pending litigation.

“This is the exact result that you don’t want to have occur,” said attorney Peter Goldstein, who represents the plaintiffs. “It occurred because there was no communication, no idea that this might be a situation where you might have to use force.”

Police responded on May 16, 2023, to a 911 call reporting that Guzman had charged at her roommate with a knife in a group home where they both lived, according to the complaint. The lawsuit also said that officers were aware of Guzman’s previous arrests and mental health incidents.

When the officers arrived, the complaint said they “lackadaisically” spoke to the owner of the home, whom they identified as Neil McGimpsey, in front of the house where Guzman could see them.

Guzman then walked toward them with a butcher knife in her hand, the body-camera footage showed.

“Put the knife down! Put the knife down!” both officers yelled before they shot her.

The lawsuit said that Guzman was “clearly agitated” and not in the right mental state to hear or understand the officers’ demands.

The complaint said the officers should not have been surprised to see Guzman with a knife and that they should have been prepared with less lethal options such as Tasers, or called for the K-9 unit.

It also accuses the officers of putting McGimpsey in danger because of him being in Guzman’s line of sight.

“Guzman walked towards Salkoff and Ebert, who were able to back up and use patrol cars as cover. These officers had time, cover, and distance from Guzman before they improperly fired out of sheer desperation, as the result of their having no tactics, no planning, and no communication,” the complaint alleged.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.