Henderson police officers who killed armed man identified

The officers who shot at and killed an armed man at a Henderson hotel Saturday have been identified by the police department.

Officer Forest Shields, employed with Henderson police since 2006, and Officer Benson Harper, who has been with the department since 2001, were placed on routine administrative leave after the shooting, according to a news release sent Monday afternoon.

Shields is assigned to the SWAT unit, the release said, and Harper is assigned to patrol.

Several officers responded to the call at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, 1340 W. Warm Springs Road, near Stephanie Street, about 9:15 a.m., after receiving reports that a man, later identified as Bryan Bauer, was firing multiple shots from his hotel room.

Henderson spokeswoman Kathleen Richards described it as a “very complicated scene.” The hotel and neighboring businesses were evacuated for hours while police established a perimeter and called SWAT to assist.

As responders approached 36-year-old Bauer’s first-floor room, he emerged, “engaged with officers” and was shot, the department said Saturday.

Bauer was transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he died.

The department will release more information about the shooting after they meet with the district attorney’s office on Thursday, Richards said Monday.

This was the first officer-involved shooting in Henderson this year. There were two in 2014.

A copy of police policy on the handling of officer-involved shootings could not be provided without getting clearance from the city attorney, Richards said. Releasing it without redacting information could reveal police tactics.

The way police departments publicize information when officers shoot or kill someone varies.

The Metropolitan Police Department’s manual spells out exactly when information will be released in the days following officer-involved shootings.

Metro releases the names of the involved officers after 48 hours, according to policy, and within 72 hours the the sheriff or an undersheriff releases details about the incident and the investigation.

The North Las Vegas Police Department’s policy manual is published online for the public, but it doesn’t include specific guidelines about releasing information about police shootings. The North Las Vegas police chief has discretion about what information is released to the press about criminal or administrative investigations involving employees.

Reporter Colton Lochhead contributed to this story. Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV. Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl.