Las Vegas officer shot in the head outside casino is on life support, sheriff says
Police officers surround a person that was shot near the 300 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard, on June 1, 2020, in downtown Las Vegas, at the end of a rally in response to the recent death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while in pol
LAS VEGAS - An officer is in critical condition after being shot in Las Vegas and authorities are responding to another shooting as people protest the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, authorities said.
Fox 5 Las Vegas reports the officer was shot in the head near the Circus Circus casino.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Joe Lombardo said the unidentified officer was in "grave condition" and on life support following the shooting.
Lombardo said officers were attempting to disperse a crowd after people threw rocks and bottles at them. As the officers attempted to place several people in custody, a shot rang out, hitting the officer.
SWAT trucks make their way down the Strip after a shooting was reported outside Circus Circus hotel and casino, on June 1, 2020, in downtown Las Vegas, at the end of a rally in response to the recent death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who di
Fox 5 reports the suspect was later identified and taken into custody by SWAT and K9 officers.
Protesters have been rallying for days across the country over the death of George Floyd, who was seen on video pleading that he couldn’t breathe with a white police officer pressing his knee into his neck for several minutes before he stopped moving.
Police in Las Vegas said Monday that 338 people were arrested during three nights of protests. Officers used tear gas and pepper balls to disperse crowds late Saturday downtown and Sunday on the Las Vegas Strip.
Police said suspects were jailed despite a local court policy calling for most people accused of misdemeanor crimes to receive court summonses instead of time behind bars to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.