Metro Police Shoot Suspect on Las Vegas Strip

A Las Vegas man is dead after a confrontation with Metro Police on the Strip. Police say they were forced to shoot and kill him.

Two California tourists captured part of the incident on video and shared that with Eyewitness News.

By the time 31-year-old Las Vegas resident Tarance Hall is pulled from his car, he has already been shot.

Tourist Eric Yost started rolling his tape only after he saw the commotion while standing on a nearby skybridge.

„We were just walking across the overpass and we heard a loud car crash,“ Eric Yost explained. „We saw the guy wrestling around with the cop and trying to get away. The cop was trying to get him out. There was a gunshot. We didn’t know who shot at what.“

„After that everyone was just rushing everywhere,“ explained Yost’s friend, Tug Keller.

Police say this all began about 10:40 Tuesday night. That’s when two Metro bike officers approached Hall at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo because his stereo was blaring.

Here’s what police say happened next.

Metro Police say it all started when two bicycle officers patrolling as part of Operation Safe Strip pulled a man over for playing his radio too loud.

Captain James Dillon said, „As soon as they made contact with the subject, he became belligerent and hostile and immediately started to drive away.“

That’s when Captain Dillon says the car struck a taxi and a nearby pole all the while dragging the officer. „As the vehicle pulled away he’s dragged and he is now holding onto the car. He is driven the distance and the airbag deploys and knocks him out.“

Capt. Dillon continued, „The air bag then deployed and the officer during this 30-foot trip ended up being pulled into the car and was knocked unconscious as a result of the airbag deploying. The suspect put the car in reverse and started to pull back where his partner was standing behind the vehicle. And seeing his partner was unconscious and the subject was trying to move, he fired one shot striking the subject.“

Since the gunshot is not caught on tape, it’s impossible to know how long the officer on the driver’s side door was unconscious.

By the time this tape is taken, that officer is conscious and moves to remove Hall from the car. Hall is put on the ground and handcuffed and then the officers radio for help.

Police say they did what they had to do, but Yost and Keller say it’s a July 4th they will never forget.

Capt. Dillon said, „We’re engaging suspects and they’re challenging us with deadly weapons and they are not complying with our orders.“

A medical team arrives just 3 minutes and 45 seconds later to transports Hall to University Medical Center.

Metro did not respond to our requests for an interview Wednesday, nor did Metro issue a press release on this incident.

This is the 18th officer involved shooting in Metro’s jurisdiction so far this year.