$550K bail ordered for man accused of shooting at Las Vegas police after chase

Las Vegas police released video Friday that they say shows a gunman get out of a U-Haul van he was driving and fire directly at an occupied Metro SUV that had been chasing him.

Along with several video clips, police also revealed more about a chase they say was led by Jarvis Williams, the alleged shooter, that went through parts of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas late Wednesday morning.

Williams, 30, was taken into custody at the conclusion of a standoff that developed after he ran from a U-Haul van after leaving it in the 1900 block of McDonald Avenue in North Las Vegas just before noon on Wednesday.

Before seeking shelter inside a home that police said Williams was familiar with, and after he fired at the police SUV, Metro officer Janette Gutierrez, 38, fired seven rounds from her Glock 9 mm handgun in the direction of Williams.

Neither person was struck by gunfire or injured during the shootout, said Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Sheriff Fred Haas during a Friday afternoon news conference at Metro’s headquarters.

Haas said Williams faces a long list of charges, including attempted murder of a first responder, battery against a first responder with use of a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle, burglary while in possession of a firearm, being in possession of a firearm as a prohibited person, and possessing a firearm without a serial number, along with other charges.

After investigating, Haas said, police believe Williams, a convicted felon, was in possession of a Walther 9 mm handgun and a separate AR pistol with 28 rounds. Police said Williams fired at Gutierrez with the Walther pistol, which they later found hidden in a bag of flooring grout.

In court

Earlier Friday, a North Las Vegas judge set bail at $550,000 Friday for Williams.

Pro Tem Justice of the Peace Craig Newman said Williams, 30, poses a danger to the community based on his criminal record and what he termed the “extreme” allegations against him.

“He shows a propensity to use weapons despite being a convicted felon,” Newman said.

Newman’s bail decision comes after a Las Vegas judge set bail at $250,000 for Williams on Thursday in a separate robbery case.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Scow requested $1 million bail at Friday’s hearing, arguing that there was no safe way to release Williams.

Court records indicate that Williams was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of murder, robbery, and firearm offenses. The charges were later reduced to conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery with the use of a deadly weapon, resulting in a prison sentence of four to 12 years.

Scow said Williams was driving a U-Haul at the time of the incident and put others on the road in danger.

Public defender Pandora Leven asked for bail close to $50,000. She argued that Williams has significant ties to the community, but acknowledged that the allegations he faces were “concerning.”

The chase

At Friday’s news conference, Haas described a chaotic situation Wednesday after police first received a report of a robbery with a firearm in the 2500 block of Fort Apache Road, near Fort Apache and West Sahara Avenue, at about 11:10 a.m.

About 20 minutes later, police received another report of a robbery in the 2100 block of North Rainbow Boulevard, near Rainbow and West Lake Mead Boulevard. The suspect in both cases, Haas said, was described as driving a U-Haul van.

With the assistance of a police air unit, officers found the van near West Lake Mead and Rancho Drive and attempted to make a traffic stop in a business parking lot. Instead, Haas said, the driver of the van struck a Metro vehicle while in reverse and sped away.

Video released by Metro showed an officer shouting at the driver of the van to put his hands up and get on the ground. Instead, the person driving the van put it in reverse and slammed into the front of the Metro vehicle after the officer had returned to the driver’s seat.

“After (Williams) backed into the Metro vehicle, a pursuit was authorized,” Haas said. “They followed the vehicle to the 1900 block of McDonald Avenue. Williams then exits the van, points a firearm at officer Gutierrez, striking the LVMPD patrol car.”

Slowing things down

Gutierrez, who appeared calm in the video that showed her taking fire, shot back in the direction of the van and, seconds later, saying “shots fired” as she walks toward the van.

An additional video clip showed the driver of the van appeared to fire at the vehicle behind him, then sprint through a yard on the residential street. While leaving the van, the driver did not put the vehicle in park, which allowed it to continue moving along McDonald Avenue as the man ran off.

Haas said there were no injuries caused by the movement of the runaway van. Haas said Williams then ran to a home that was known to Williams, which was a short distance from where the shootout happened.

Negotiators were able to talk Williams into surrendering without incident a short time later, Hass said.

The shooting marked the sixth this year involving a Metro officer.