LAS VEGAS — A police officer was shot in the hand in Las Vegas Sunday in what officials referred to as an “ambush”, and after those officers chased the suspect a short distance they took the man into custody without further incident and without firing a single shot.
According to a press release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, two uniformed officers were in a marked patrol car and on their way to a disturbance call when they stopped at a stop light at Nellis Boulevard and Tropicana Boulevard shortly after noon. Sgt. John Sheahan also describes the incident in the YouTube video posted below.
While the officers were stopped at the traffic signal, a male on foot opened fire on the patrol vehicle.
“This assailant was carrying a semi-automatic handgun and fired multiple rounds at our officers as they were sitting in their vehicle,” Sgt. Sheahan stated in the video. “One of our officers was struck in the hand at that time.”
Both officers left the vehicle to pursue the suspect, who fled on foot. The man was captured a short distance later without incident in a 7-Eleven parking lot. Police recovered the firearm used in the shooting.
“Our officers did all this without firing a shot,” Sheahan stated.
So far authorities have not identified any of the parties involved in the incident.
The officer who was shot in the hand was taken to a hospital with injuries described as not being life-threatening. No other injuries were reported.
The two officers were responding to a call about a disturbance at a business on the 4900 Block of Tropicana Boulevard when the incident occurred, and Sheahan stated the shooting occurred in the same area as the call they were responding to. It was not clear if the two incidents are related in some way other than chance.
