NLV police: Man shot at officers after friend killed in shootout

A man arrested in connection with shooting at North Las Vegas police wanted to avenge the death of his friend, who had ties to gangs and died during a shootout with officers earlier this week, the Review-Journal has learned.

Agitated over the killing that happened the day before, Christopher Young haphazardly took out his anger on an officer he was driving by, North Las Vegas police said Thursday.

Someone in a vehicle Young was driving opened fire Wednesday after officers killed Young’s friend Aljarreau Cross, 29, Tuesday, according to the department.

Cross led police on a frantic chase after they tried to stop him for a traffic violation, according to the department. He dumped his car at a random house in the 700 block of West Miller Avenue and ran through a nearby desert lot.

When the two officers caught up to him, Cross fired at them, striking one several times in the leg. The officers both returned fire, and Cross died in the desert lot. The officer Cross shot was treated and later released from a valley hospital.

“Young’s family had reported that he was distraught over the shooting of his friend the night before, which led to the shooting,” Sgt. Chrissie Coon said.

About 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, a North Las Vegas motorcycle officer reported someone was shooting at him near Cheyenne Avenue and Commerce Street. The shots, he said, were coming from a blue Saturn sedan.

Police later said Young, 22, was behind the wheel. He was driving recklessly, and the motorcycle officer gave chase.

That’s when things got dicey.

The shooter fired several rounds through the back window of the car at the officer as the nearly two-mile chase ensued.

“We were very lucky that an innocent bystander wasn’t hit during the shooting,” Coon said. “This was during evening rush hour and they passed several vehicles at over 60 miles per hour, and even crossed into oncoming traffic on more than one occasion.”

Young lost control of the Saturn in the 1200 block of Alexander Road and hit a power pole. Young was arrested there, but a passenger fled and is still on the loose, Coon said.

“We are following leads in the case, but we do not have a second person in custody yet,” Coon said.

Police did not find the gun fired from the Saturn but recovered shell casings and a magazine from inside the car, Coon said. The Saturn’s license plate had been removed prior to the shooting.

The motorcycle cop had no connection to Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting of Cross, according to Coon.

“This was just a motor officer who had been on patrol in the area,” she said.

Cross had gang ties, court records show, and both he and Young had prior run-ins with police.

In 2004, Cross was arrested and charged with attempted murder after he shot another man. Cross shot the man because he thought he had cooperated with police in a previous arrest, according to the report.

In the arrest report, police noted that he was a member of the North Town Gangster Crips.

Cross was given one-to-four years for the shooting after pleading guilty to lesser charges of assault with a deadly weapon, court records show.

In 2007, Cross was involved in a robbery at a convenience store at 4850 Camino Al Norte, according to court records.

The gun recovered near Cross’ body Tuesday night was reported stolen during a previous house burglary, Coon said.

Police say it’s still unclear why Cross refused to stop when police tried to pull him over.

Young was booked in the Las Vegas City Jail on Wednesday and is facing one felony count each of attempted murder, evading a police officer, conspiracy to commit murder, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, and possessing a firearm while being an ex-felon, police said.

Young had previously been arrested in connection with a robbery at a 7-Eleven in 2009. He pleaded guilty to a single charge of larceny and given a suspended two-to-five year prison term and placed on probation, according to court records.

Anyone with information about these crimes is urged to call North Las Vegas police at 702-633-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 and www.crimestoppersofnv.com.

Ricardo Torres contributed to this report. Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Find him on Twitter: @ColtonLochhead.