Man shot by trooper in Jean has died

The man who was shot by a California Highway Patrol trooper after a nearly 200-mile chase that led to Nevada has died, Las Vegas police said on Friday.

Phia Vang, 25, tried to run over the trooper in Jean before the trooper shot him, police said.

Vang began running from CHP about 4 p.m. Thursday in Mojave, Calif., about 75 miles northwest of Victorville, Metro Capt. Matt McCarthy said in a statement posted on the department’s Youtube channel.

At about 6:30 p.m., Metro and the Nevada Highway Patrol were notified that the pursuit was heading toward the border, McCarthy said. The man exited Interstate 15 at Jean, where a Metro officer and the pursuing CHP trooper seemingly managed to block Vang’s getaway path.

But Vang put his car in reverse and sped backward, slamming into the trooper’s vehicle, McCarthy said.

After refusing commands from the officers, Vang put the car in drive and accelerated toward them, prompting the CHP trooper to fire, McCarthy said.

The Clark County Fire Department responded to treat Vang. He was airlifted to University Medical Center in critical condition and later died, police said.

Police said the Clark County coroner’s office will release the exact cause of death.

Ricardo Torres contributed to this report.

Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Find him on Twitter: @ColtonLochhead.