A man who shot and wounded a Las Vegas police officer fired the officer's holstered gun, according to police, prompting the department to review whether it needs to discontinue using that style of holster.
The 28-year-old man was arrested early Sunday during a concert at Allegiant Stadium and was being taken to a holding room at the stadium by two officers when he accessed the gun, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Sheriff Laz Chavez said.
Chavez said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that as the officers were adjusting the man's handcuffs, the man slid his finger into an officer's holster and pulled the trigger on the gun, firing a shot.
The officer was shot in the leg and another officer was hit by shrapnel and injured. Both officers have been released from the hospital after receiving treatment.
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The suspect faces charges of battery with use of a deadly weapon, resisting an officer and other charges and is being held on $100,000 bail. He was visiting Las Vegas from San Diego and was hospitalized for “erratic behavior,” Chavez said. He did not offer more details but said the man was still hospitalized Tuesday afternoon.
Chavez said the man was involved in some kind of “disturbance” at the stadium and pushed a security guard and ran away. Officers who were working as security chased him and took him to the holding cell.
Police body camera footage and surveillance video from a stadium elevator released by police show the man being pinned in a corner by officers, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The officers in the footage can be heard telling the man to relax at least four times before a gunshot is heard and an officer says: “He’s got your gun,” and “You’ve been shot.”
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Chavez said he had been reviewing different holsters and was concerned about the man’s ability to reach the gun’s trigger.
“We’re going to look at that and make some determinations of whether or not we need to discontinue the use of some of these holsters and then certainly go into training,” he said.
The concert Saturday from electronic dance music star Illenium was the first to be held at the new stadium.
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