Metro identifies officers involved in fatal shooting near Russell Road and Mountain Vista Street
The officers involved in Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting in the east valley have been identified by Las Vegas police.
Michael Henry, Chad Cruse, Brooke Lavin and Benjamin Baldassarre are all assigned to Metro’s southeast-area command station and have been placed on routine paid administrative leave while the shooting s reviewed.
One of the officers involved in the shooting has been connected to another fatal shooting, and another received an award for crisis intervention.
Henry, 43, has worked at Metro since September 2003, and was involved in another fatal shooting in October 2012, when Las Vegas police responding to a shooting at the Ross Dress for Less store on East Desert Inn Road, near Eastern Avenue confronted gunman Ronald James Morrison.
Henry was one of three officers who opened fire and killed Morrison after he brandished a handgun.
Lavin, 35, has worked with the Las Vegas police since January 2001.
Lavin was awarded for being Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year in 2012 after calming down a suicidal man and following up to make sure he got help from social services.
Cruse, 29, has been with Metro since September 2010, and 30-year-old Baldassarre since April 2009.
Officers shot down Henderson man Herbert Earl Green, 46, during a barricade situation at a home in the 5400 block of Palm Street, near Russell Road and Mountain Vista Street.
Las Vegas police responded to the home to reports of “unknown trouble” about 2 p.m. After speaking with a police sergeant for some time and going in and out of the home several times, Green came out of the house and began shooting at officers.
Police Capt. Matt McCarthy said officers shot back.
Green rounded a corner and shot at another group of officers until he was gunned down by officers returning fire again. He died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.
Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl.
