Police detail shooting of knife-wielding man

The man involved in Monday’s northwest valley officer-involved shooting was prepared for a fight: he wore a mask, carried two butcher knives and had placed a ceramic cutting board in his clothing as a shield, Las Vegas police said.

Police responded to the 7600 block of Calico Fields Street just after 1 p.m. Monday after receiving reports that a man and woman were arguing. One caller told dispatch that the man, later identified as 31-year-old Kyle Kuhn, threatened to kill the woman — his wife Dawn Kuhn — if she tried to call the police.

When officers arrived, they found Dawn and she told them her husband might be suicidal and was armed with a knife, according to police records. She said Kuhn had pushed her to the ground, stomped on her ankles, sprayed her with a fire extinguisher and smashed the windows out of her car. The Kuhns have three children.

Thinking Kuhn might still be in the residence, police tried to contact him on his cellphone and by bullhorn. They received no response, but a group of officers saw Kuhn leave the house and stand behind a Jeep that had its windows smashed out.

Then Kuhn came toward the officers, butcher knife raised above his masked face.

Officers responded with gunfire and then gave medical aid to the man, who had been shot in the abdomen. Police later said both a handgun and non-lethal bean bag shotgun had been fired.

Kuhn remained in University Medical Center’s intensive care unit Tuesday afternoon. He was booked in absentia on charges including assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and battery domestic violence.

Kuhn has a criminal record in Clark County, with burglary, forgery and theft charges dating back to 2002.

This was the 14th police shooting in Metro’s jurisdiction in 2014. According to policy, officers involved in police shootings are placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation, and their names are released 48 hours after the incident.

Contact reporter Annalise Little at alittle@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391. Find her on Twitter: @annalisemlittle.