Man who died in confrontation with police is identified

The man who shot a Las Vegas police officer in the leg Thursday and then was killed after the officer returned fire was identified as 29-year-old Dominic Nieto, a police official said Monday.

Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Lew Roberts said Nieto had a long rap sheet that included multiple arrests in both California and Colorado.

Roberts said Monday evening he did not believe Nieto had ever been arrested by Las Vegas police prior to Thursday's incident.

Nieto was involved in an altercation and fired shots at the Penthouse Club on Russell Road near Interstate 15, police said. After the 6:55 a.m. shooting, Nieto led police on a high-speed chase. He was driving a Hummer H3 that overturned near Hacienda Avenue and Rainbow Boulevard.

As patrol officer Blake T. Penny, 32, approached the sport-utility vehicle, Nieto got out of it and fired several shots at Penny, hitting him in the right leg.

Penny returned fire, killing the man, Roberts said.

Penny was hospitalized with a leg wound but was expected to make a full recovery, police said.

Roberts said police don't know why Nieto began shooting at Penny. But he said he began shooting inside the strip club because shortly before, he had gotten into a physical altercation with a manager at the club.

"The manager got the best of him," Roberts said.