Shooting ruled justified

On May 17, Christopher Tuttle was inside the family home, armed, and pacing and screaming for the demons to go away.

He had pointed his weapon, a family heirloom, at a friend and his brother and, once police arrived, at an officer, testimony at a coroner's inquest revealed Friday.

After 15 minutes of deliberating, the coroner's jury unanimously found Las Vegas police officer Eric Seibold was justified when he shot and killed Tuttle in the confrontation outside the home.

The six-hour inquest included testimony from law enforcement, neighbors, friends and family, some of whom said Tuttle battled inner demons and had a history of drug abuse.

Several officers responded to the call of a man pointing a handgun at family members inside the home near Washington Avenue and Jones Boulevard.

Seibold, 39, testified he had no choice but fire two rounds at Tuttle because he wouldn't comply with repeated demands to drop the .45 caliber revolver he was holding "gangster style" at police.

"He said 'I'm not going back to prison' repeatedly," said Seibold, an eight-year veteran of the Las Vegas police.

Tuttle, 31, was arrested several times between 1994 and 2007 on charges ranging from armed robbery to assault with a deadly weapon. Clark County toxicology results indicated Tuttle had alcohol, marijuana and methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death.

Longtime friend Anthony Habif testified the incident started when Tuttle pointed the gun in his face and said "I'm going to kill you." Habif escaped through a second floor window, but Tuttle redirected his anger and aim at his own brother, Nolan Tuttle.

"He pointed the gun in my face and asked if I knew what was going on ... going on with spirits in his room," Nolan Tuttle testified.

The men were unsure what sparked the aggression, but Habif said he could periodically hear his friend yell and try to "pull demons out of his chest."

Tuttle's friends and family were not present for the verdict.

Seibold was one of three Las Vegas police officers who testified. He said he wouldn't have done anything different in the situation.

Seibold fired two rounds. Twelve shotgun pellets were recovered from Tuttle's body.

Despite losing the man he called his "best friend," Habif on the witness stand thanked officers for preventing Tuttle from further threatening him and others and for helping save his life.

"I'm a pretty religious person and I felt something pretty bad next to me (that day)," he said.