Man killed in gunfire exchange with officers in central Las Vegas

A man was shot and killed by Las Vegas SWAT officers early Sunday morning after he barricaded himself inside his residence with multiple weapons and a 4-year-old child, police said.

The Metropolitan Police Department responded about 9:41 p.m. to a call about a woman who was suffering a gunshot wound on the 6500 block of Assembly Drive, near Torrey Pines Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard.

“That caller reported there was a female at his front door that appeared to be injured,” Kelly McMahill, of Metro’s Office of Internal Oversight, said.

Responding officers later learned the woman was injured in what police believed to be a domestic dispute at her home. She was taken to University Medical Center with what police said are survivable injuries.

The woman was shot at least once, but may have been shot twice, McMahill said during an early morning briefing.

“I am hearing now that maybe she was shot twice and that’s why she was taken into surgery,” she said. “We know for sure she was shot in the arm, and now I’m hearing she was possibly shot in the chest as well.”

Officers responded to the residence on the 1900 block of Bookbinder Drive, where they made contact with the man who possibly shot the woman. When that man came to the front door, it was apparent that he was armed with a handgun, McMahill said.

As officers backed away to set up containment, the suspect fired at least two shots toward the home’s rear, then about five rounds from the home’s front.

SWAT responds

Metro’s crisis negotiation and SWAT teams were called to respond to the scene.

Police then found out that the man inside the home had approximately six different firearms and had a 4-year-old girl inside the house with him.

Based on this information, police opted to send the SWAT team into the home about 12:05 a.m.

As the officers entered the home, the man inside shot at them, police said. SWAT officers exchanged gunfire with the man and he was shot, McMahill said.

The man was taken to UMC, where he died.

“Luckily they were able to rescue the 4-year-old little girl inside and get her out to safety, where she remains unharmed this morning. ” McMahill said. “The little girl is not only safe. She’s a very lucky little girl this morning.”

Neighborhood reaction

Andy Roque, 19, first heard the gunshots from his house about 60 yards away at 9 or 10 p.m.

“It sounded like fireworks; the neighbors constantly use fireworks,” he said. “But this time it sounded different.”

Andy’s father, Victor Roque, 43, said he saw two SWAT team members run through his yard Saturday night carrying long rifles with silencers.

Bryan Alvarez, 21, lives across the street and a few houses down from where the shooting occurred. He said he had never seen the man who was killed. Alvarez and his 2-year-old son were kept away from their home until 4 or 5 a.m. Sunday, he said.

“That’s crazy,” he said. “I never expected something like this to happen in a calm neighborhood.”

This is the 10th officer involved shooting of 2017. Per department policy, the identity of the four officers involved will be released after 48 hours, police said.

Contact Marian Green at mgreen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5205. Follow @mgreen0708 on Twitter. Contact Dana Rutkin at drutkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @DanadRutkin on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Blake Apgar contributed to this report.