NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — New bodycam footage is giving the public more insight into an officer-involved shooting that happened on New Year's Eve.
According to the North Las Vegas Police Department, they received multiple 911 calls about a man with a gun who had been arguing with people in the 1300 block of Putnam Avenue. He left the scene and went to a home in the 2800 block of Taylor Avenue. Police said witnesses told them it was the same armed man from the earlier call. However, he left both scenes before officers arrived.
While officers were investigating the incident on Taylor Avenue, the suspect, later identified by police as 39-year-old Javier Flores, returned to the scene. Bodycam footage showed officers asking Flores to stop the truck he was driving.
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop the truck!"
You can also hear officers mention a nine-year-old child is inside the truck and that officers need to be careful.
Flores stopped the truck, got out, and bodycam footage showed he pulled a 9mm handgun out of his waistband and pointed it at officers. That's when all three officers shot a total of 24 rounds at Flores, hitting him.
As officers opened fire, you can hear a child screaming in the background. With Flores on the ground, officers then removed the child from the truck.
"Move around and get the nine-year-old out of the car. We got it," one officer said. "Yes. Get the kid."
Flores was taken to University Medical Center where he later died.
The three officers involved in the shooting have been identified as Jesus Cruz, who was hired by NLVPD in 2022, Ty Tolar, who was hired by NLVPD in 2004, and Forrest Walker, who was hired by NLVPD in 2018. Per department policy, all three officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
No officers or bystanders were injured in this incident.
