Suspect slain by LV police ID’d; officers out of hospital

Las Vegas police on Thursday provided more details of a shootout Wednesday night that left a California fugitive dead and two officers injured.

The shooting occurred when officers were taking the fugitive into custody, police said.

The fugitive suddenly pulled out a gun and shot one of the officers.

Three officers responded by shooting and killing Jeffrey Williams, 28, in the front yard of a home on the 2000 block of Canosa Avenue, near Eastern and St. Louis avenues, Las Vegas police said.

One officer was shot in the leg and a second was hurt by the muzzle blast, police said. Both have been released from the hospital.

The incident began about 6:20 p.m. after deputy U.S. marshals asked for assistance from Las Vegas police to pull over a car driven by Williams, who was wanted on a parole violation in California, police said. He had been convicted of robbery.

Williams briefly stopped the green Cadillac he was driving, then sped off. The pursuit headed north for more than two miles until the car hit a traffic signal's control box.

The driver and passenger both ran into the nearby neighborhood.

Williams died at the scene. Officers caught the passenger, Quentin Avery, 26, and booked him at the Las Vegas Detention Center on charges of obstructing an officer.

Under Las Vegas police policy, the names of the officers involved will not be released until today, 48 hours after the incident.