71-year-old killed in southeast valley shooting with Henderson police

A 71-year-old man was killed Thursday after a shooting involving Henderson police SWAT officers, authorities said.

The shooting happened along Casa Colorado Avenue in Las Vegas at 7 a.m. Thursday, Henderson Police Department Sgt. Daniel Medrano said. The man was later pronounced dead at a hospital, he added.

Police were called to investigate a burglary on Imperia Drive in Henderson on Wednesday, Medrano said.

“During the investigation, detectives learned that the vehicle had been stolen during that burglary,” he said, without explaining what vehicle was tied to the burglary or how.

Detectives tracked the vehicle to the Las Vegas home where the shooting happened, Medrano said. Henderson police took full control of the investigation, as the alleged burglary happened within their jurisdiction, he added.

“Shots were fired,” Medrano told reporters Thursday morning. “Aid was immediately provided to the male, who was then transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”

Medrano refused to elaborate on the details of the shooting, including whether the suspect fired at police. He also did not name the hospital where the suspect was taken.

A statement from Henderson police released Thursday afternoon said that an officer shot the man.

Behind sections of Casa Colorado Avenue, which were blocked off by yellow crime tape, sat more than a dozen police vehicles Thursday morning.

A few officers also waited in unmarked vehicles behind a house near where Medrano said the shooting occurred.

Construction worker Miguel Palacios said he saw police cars arrive around 7:15 a.m. while he waited to start work for the morning.

“We’re waiting patiently for the construction crew to show up. Next you know, we see a bunch of police cars, undercover police cars coming in deep,” he said.

“We’re surrounded by cops and we hear, like it sounds to be a flash-bang, but I could be mistaken.”

Palacios and other construction workers watched officers set up along the construction site. He said they were mostly confused as to why Henderson police were investigating a situation in Las Vegas.

“We were confused, like OK, why is Henderson out here when it’s Metro’s jurisdiction?” Palacios said.

More details are expected to be released in the days following the shooting, police said.

Contact Finnegan Belleau at fbelleau@reviewjournal.com.