off-duty cop shot a man

LAS VEGAS (KSNV & MyNews3) -- Metro says a car-jacking gone wrong turned into an officer-involved shooting.

An off-duty cop shot a man and now Metro is describing what happened.

Metro says an off-duty detective distracted the man who was trying to steal his car.

The detective acted like he was reaching for his keys but instead he was reaching for his gun which he had stashed in between the front seat and the center console.

The officer grabbed it and fired one shot.

The man shot, Saul Villegas, did not have a gun.

Villegas is from California and was visiting family in Las Vegas.

Hard to tell for sure however, I wonder what would have happen to a non-metro armed person if they had shot this unarmed thief?
I am of the opinion the safest place for a firearm other in a safe is on the person. This is a good example why. May be he could not qualify for a CCW permit.
His gun which he had stashed in between the front seat and the center console?
I see this as irresponsible loss of control of his weapon, which only luck kept it from going bad.

Off duty cop cannot carry w/o a CCW? I doubt he is not eligible...maybe never got a CCW, yes.

But he shot an unarmed man ... so he will have some explaining to do.

What the explanation is I have no idea. Just being in the process of stealing a car good enough?

I think it went bad enough for Saul.

So he didn't have a gun. What did he threaten the officer with? I find it hard to believe he was completely unarmed or didn't allude he did have a weapon.

Most likely he made threats I can't see car thief trying to steal a car with someone inside is going to say please and thank you.

HR218 is the peace officer's protection act, it allows a working cop from any department, as well a a retired cop from any department current on his range qualifications to carry a concealed weapon nationwide without the need for a CCW

rickyray9 said:

HR218 is the peace officer's protection act, it allows a working cop from any department, as well a a retired cop from any department current on his range qualifications to carry a concealed weapon nationwide without the need for a CCW

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There is a similar NRS.

TBG

rickyray9 said:

HR218 is the peace officer's protection act, it allows a working cop from any department, as well a a retired cop from any department current on his range qualifications to carry a concealed weapon nationwide without the need for a CCW

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HR218 requires its own permit that the cop must apply for; they do not just get to carry automatically outside the other limitations of law.

Firearms Iinstuctor said:

Most likely he made threats I can't see car thief trying to steal a car with someone inside is going to say please and thank you.

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This is my thinking. An active threat gets the presumption of being armed or otherwise capable of carrying out the threat. Someone in a car is cornered and should not have to take the time to carefully evaluate the situation against a known bad guy in the commission of a felony.

While thinking up possibilities for shooting an unarmed man, lets not overlook that we have only the PD's word that it was an attempted carjacking. And, keep in mind which PD we're talking about.

Citizen said:

While thinking up possibilities for shooting an unarmed man, lets not overlook that we have only the PD's word that it was an attempted carjacking. And, keep in mind which PD we're talking about.

Government killed a citizen under its protection. The closest possible scrutiny is needed.

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Excellent points.

However, I tend to trust an off-duty cop much more so than one that is on duty.

MAC702 said:

Excellent points.

However, I tend to trust an off-duty cop much more so than one that is on duty.

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Well, except he was trying to steal the cops car ... little bit more incentive for the cop? A little bit more emotional?

davidmcbeth said:

Well, except he was trying to steal the cops car ... little bit more incentive for the cop? A little bit more emotional?

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This is my point. At this time, we only have the cop's word for it that the wounded man was trying to steal his car. An unarmed wounded man.

A cop who works LVPD.

Government applied lethal force to a citizen under its protection. The closest possible scrutiny is needed.


ETA: deleted references to the gunshot victim being deceased

Citizen said:

This is my point. At this time, we only have the cop's word for it that the deceased was trying to steal his car. An unarmed deceased.

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Interesting point .. maybe he was just getting a pack of smokes ...

davidmcbeth said:

Interesting point .. maybe he was just getting a pack of smokes ...

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Or, maybe the car door jostled the cop's arm as he was dismounting, causing him to trigger a shot. (An oblique reference to the thoroughly disproven excuse given by a SWAT officer for "accidentally" shooting a non-violent, unarmed, arrestee in Northern VA in 2006. The police narrative was disproven by forensic evidence, to the point that when the plaintiffs made a graphics video showing how the cop had to be lying, the county settled the case for millions.)

Additional info local news for whatever that is worth.

The officer was with his family unloading packages when the suspect allegedly got in.
He was warned to get out but when the suspect reached under the seat, the officer shot him, Fox5 reports.
Police say the suspect then ran away but was detained by hotel security and then taken to University Medical Center for treatment.
The officer was not injured in the incident.

More info
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -

Police said a man was shot in the wrist by an off-duty detective outside a casino on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday night.
The shooting happened about 9 a.m. at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino at 3850 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Las Vegas Metro Police Capt. Brett Primas said the detective was dropping off packages at the hotel when a man jumped into the driver's side of his vehicle. He said the detective then went over to the passenger's side of the car and ordered the man out. He said the man refused, and the detective identified himself as a police officer. He said the man then reached to his waistband and the detective fired a shot, hitting the man's wrist.

Would the sequence of events be the carjacker jumped into the car, which still had the LEOs keys in it? Then the off duty LEO who also left his gun in the car between the seat and center console tells the carjacker to get out, then the off duty LEO pretends to reach for the keys to grab his own gun, then decided the carjacker was reaching under the LEOs car front seat for what? This does not make since to me.

Why would the carjacker reach under the seat of a car he had never been in? There is another report where the off duty LEO said the carjacker was reaching for his waistband and that is when the LEO shot. I wonder if this is going to be the official version ?

I believe the detective endangered himself, family, and public by not having the firearm on him and leaving the keys in the car. I never leave my vehicle without my keys or firearm, even if I am going to get right back in the vehicle.

I believe had a non-LEO shot the carjacker he would have lost his firearm, been charged with discharging a firearm within the city limits, maybe charged with attempted murder.

I am glad this thief crossed paths with a Metro officer hopefully removes him from the streets for a while.

Nice follow-up report, but we still don't have anything except the cop's assertion that it was an attempted carjacking.

Well,,,

Citizen said:

Nice follow-up report, but we still don't have anything except the cop's assertion that it was an attempted carjacking.

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Actually, by all the versions of the story,
It was NOT a car jacking, It was a car theft attempt!
The shooting was not really justifiable!

I'm just glad it was a Metro officer and he was not injured. I'm glad it wasn't me! I would hate to be put into a situation like this or any other that involved shooting somebody. I'm sure that a police officer has things a lot easier after a shooting vs a regular guy with a gun.

Don't be so quick to assume

I know this person. He is a good guy. He is with the gang unit. He was meeting his family in the parking lot and they were greeting each other in the parking lot and getting things out of the car. I do not have any other details I'm willing to disclose but he was also my first sgt at my unit in the reserves. He is one of the good guys who truly cares about people.