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Las Vegas fugitive task force wins national Top Cops award

Local police officers involved in the shooting of an armed murder suspect last year will be honored Sunday with a national officer of the year award.

Members of the Las Vegas police Criminal Apprehension Team, a fugitive task force, will receive the National Association of Police Organizations’ Top Cops award in Washington, D.C.

Among those honored are: detectives Eric G. Collins, Thomas Faller, Richard A. Hart, Craig Lilienthal, Troy E. Radke, Greg Theobald, Linda Theobald, Sgt. David Stansbury, Henderson police Detective David Rowlett and FBI agents Daniel Coxon, T. Scott Hendricks III and Christopher McInnes.

The officers were involved in the Feb. 1, 2012 shooting of Jason Baires, 23. He was suspected of killing his mother’s boyfriend with a machete.

Baires shot Greg Theobald in the leg as police chased him. He was killed by other officers who return fire.

The officers placed Theobald in the back of a police car and kept pressure on his wound as he was taken to University Medical Center.

This was at least the third year in a row that Las Vegas police officers were honored with a Top Cops award.

In 2012, officers John Abel, Michael Ramirez, Corey Staheli, Beaumont Hopson and David Williams were honored.

The officers shot and killed felon Marc Hull, 25, after he shot Ramirez several times in the left arm and once in the chest in the early morning of Sept. 9, 2011 at a Walmart SuperCenter on Rainbow Boulevard.

Ramirez was saved only by his body armor.

In 2011, two officers involved in the controversial 2010 fatal shooting of Erik Scott at a Costco received an honorable mention.

The Top Cops election process vets hundreds of nominations from all 50 states. Officers from the top 10 cases were selected.

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.

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