WEEK IN REVIEW: Top News

A Las Vegas police officer fatally shot a fleeing suspect in the back after a foot chase Monday night near Sahara Avenue and Lamb Boulevard.

According to police, officers with the gang crimes unit saw Bernard Pate, 37, of Las Vegas "acting suspiciously," but he ran when they approached him.

During a short foot pursuit, police said, "shots were fired" and Pate was killed. A gun "believed to be the suspect's" was found by the body, police said.

Seven officers were involved in the incident. The only officer who fired was identified by police as 28-year-old Detective Casey Clarkson.

Police did not say whether Pate pointed a gun at officers before he was shot. Police do not think he fired his weapon.

Clarkson was placed on routine paid administrative leave and, at the advice of union officials, is not cooperating with the investigation into the shooting.

Monday

Police: Suspect snapped

Jesus "Jesse" Saldivar lost his job and his house not long before he killed his ex-girlfriend, their 3-year-old daughter and himself, authorities said.

According to new details released in the Nov. 18 slaying, Saldivar, 48, stabbed Veronica Erazo-Alderado, 30, before shooting her in the chest and killing her. He then stabbed 3-year-old Sabrina to death, placed the bodies in his car and drove to a quiet area about five miles from the house, where he shot himself.

Tuesday

Spending again

Taxable sales jumped in September, led by sharp sales bursts from restaurants, clothing stores and car dealers, the Nevada Department of Taxation reported.

Taxable sales across Nevada totaled $3.58 billion in the month, up 10.4 percent from September 2010.

Sales in Clark County rose to $2.57 billion, up 10.5 percent from $2.32 billion last year.

Wednesday

'Viva' Lost Vegas

MGM Resorts is likely to ask Cirque du Soleil to close its "Viva Elvis" at the end of next year and replace the Aria production with a new title, according to a company memo.

It would be the first of Cirque's seven Las Vegas titles to close since the opening of "Mystere" in 1993. Ticket sales suggest Las Vegas showgoers are losing their infatuation with Elvis Presley -- or at least Cirque's version of his music -- for the first time since he bombed at the Frontier in 1956.

Thursday

Club owner dead

Scott DeGraff, the embattled co-owner of the N9NE Group of restaurants and nightclubs in Las Vegas, Chicago and Dallas, died early Thursday morning in what authorities in Aspen, Colo., believe was a suicide.

DeGraff, 47, was found dead in the garage of an Aspen home at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, according to Aspen police.

In recent years, DeGraff had come out on the losing end of several lawsuits and was under extreme financial duress.

He moved to Colorado three years ago from Las Vegas, where he and childhood friend Michael Morton partnered with Palms owner George Maloof on a number of restaurants and nightclubs.

Friday

Blackness spreads

Even before the turkey was digested, customers were lining up and stores were opening for the biggest shopping day of the year.

Only it's not just one day anymore. The new trend among retailers is to open their doors for Black Friday on Thursday night.

At the Meadows mall, shoppers were confronted by a flash mob of noisy protesters from the Occupy Las Vegas movement.

The jury is out on whether the cash registers made enough noise to bring holiday cheer to valley merchants.