LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Protests Monday night turned violent leaving a Las Vegas police officer fighting for his life and a suspect in a second shooting dead.
Metro police sources confirm to 8 News Now that a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer who was shot in the head near Circus Circus late Monday night is on life support at UMC.
According to Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo who held a news conference at 3 a.m., police were attempting to disperse protesters in front of Circus Circus Hotel & Casino when people in the crowd began throwing bottles and rocks at the officers and the officers began to take some people into custody.
WATCH: Sheriff Lombardo’s news conference
A source told 8 News Now, as one officer was in a struggle with a protester, another person walked up and shot the officer in the back of the head. The shooting suspect was taken into custody around 2 a.m.
“This is a sad night for our LVMPD family and a tragic night for our community,” Lombardo said.
A separate shooting involving police left a man dead near the Lloyd George Federal Building on Las Vegas Boulevard.
According to Sheriff Lombardo, “At approximately 11:22 p.m., officers encountered a subject who was armed with multiple firearms and appeared to be wearing body armor,” Lombardo said. “During the interaction the subject reached for a firearm and the officers engaged him The suspect was struck by gunfire and transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”
Gov. Steve Sisolak tweeted out that his office is monitoring the situation, writing, “My Office has been notified that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is currently working two separate incidents in Las Vegas. The State is in contact with local law enforcement and continues to monitor the situation.”
Attorney General Aaron Ford released a statement Tuesday morning about the officer-involved shootings that occurred during Monday night’s protests.
This is a developing situation. Please check back for updates.
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