Man shot by police was in country illegally, undersheriff says
The man shot by police Monday in east Las Vegas was living in the country illegally, Las Vegas police Undersheriff Jim Dixon said Thursday at a press conference.
Manuel Rodriguez, 42, was shot three times by Metro officer Garrett Escartin after he pointed his gun at officers about 3:30 p.m. near U.S. 95 and Charleston Boulevard, police said.
Police originally reported Rodriguez’s name as Julio Estrada-Lopez. They found two Mexican identification cards on Rodriguez when they caught him. Both names were fake.
Officers went to the area after receiving a call about a man trying to steal a car in the 70 block of Suzy Court, police said.
Metro said Rodriguez pulled a gun on the homeowner, Amalio Nevarez, after he was confronted during the attempted theft. Rodriguez then demanded the keys to Nevarez’s van as Nevarez’s grandson stood next to him, police said.
Nevarez told Rodriguez his keys were in the house and went to get them, but Rodriguez didn’t follow him inside. By the time Nevarez came outside with the keys, Rodriguez was gone, he said.
Rodriguez tried to rob another person across the street, police said. Arriving officers saw him waving his gun in the air and pointing it at people.
He ran from police through a backyard and climbed over a wall before reaching the Charleston on-ramp to U.S. 95.
Police said he pointed the gun at officers after they ordered him to stop. Officer Garrett Escartin fired four shots, striking Rodriguez three times, police said. He was taken to University Medical Center in critical condition.
Rodriguez was living as a resident alien in the United States in 1990, but was deported to Mexico in 1998. He re-entered the country and was deported again in 2002, Dixon said.
Escartin has been with Metro since 2006. He is on paid routine adminstrative leave.
Monday’s incident was the second Metro police shooting this year.
Contact reporter Steven Slivka at sslivka@reviewjournal.com. Follow @StevenSlivka on Twitter.
