North Las Vegas police shoot, kill homeless man in early-morning confrontation

A North Las Vegas police officer shot and killed a homeless man after an early-morning confrontation Monday.

The confrontation began when a patrol officer stopped the man walking near Tonopah Avenue and Woodard Street about 1:10 a.m., officer Chrissie Coon said.

The officer shot the man in the backyard of an abandoned home a few minutes later, Coon said.

The 38-year-old man, who has not yet been named by authorities, died at the scene.

It’s unclear what prompted the shooting. Coon said a knife was found at the scene, but it was too early in the investigation to say whether the man was aggressive toward the officer.

“It’s still under investigation, and (detectives) are reviewing statements,” she said.

Coon said the man was uncooperative and backed away from the officer.

It hasn’t been revealed why the officer stopped the man, but Coon said police have had problems with homeless people breaking into abandoned homes in that area.

It is the North Las Vegas police department’s first fatal officer-involved shooting since January 2011.

The 31-year-old officer is a five-year veteran of the department and has been placed on paid administrative leave. His name will be released after 48 hours, police said.

Staff writer Annalise Porter contributed to this report. Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com.