LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has provided updates in a press briefing on an officer-involved shooting that happened last Friday on North Las Vegas Boulevard.
Assistant Sheriff Yasenia Yatomi held the press briefing on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Watch the full briefing here
The shooting resulted in the arrest of 54-year-old suspect Jaime Mendoza.
On Dec. 1, Metro police identified the officer involved as 33-year-old Officer Marcos Gomez, who has been placed on routine paid administrative leave.
Mendoza has been charged with the following counts:
- One count of Attempted Murder of a First Responder.
- One count of Resisting a Public Officer with a Firearm.
- One count of Kidnapping in the First Degree with a Deadly Weapon.
- One count of Sexual Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
- One count of Aggravated Stalking with a Deadly Weapon.
- One count of Auto Burglary
- One count of Felony Evading.
The details
According to Metro police, the incident began as an investigative follow-up on Nov. 29, 2024, around 9:57 p.m. in a residential area located in the 600 block of North Christy Lane.
Patrol officers responded to the residential area on reports of a kidnapping and sexual assault with the use of a firearm.
Police said details of the call indicated Jaime Mendoza as the suspect and he drove a red 2015 Toyota RAV4. The responding patrol officers found a vehicle matching the description near North Chirsty and followed it into the neighborhood.
When patrol officers attempted a traffic stop, police said the vehicle took off at a high rate of speed. They said that given the details of the reported crimes, patrol officers engaged in pursuit but lost sight of the vehicle near Owens Avenue and Marion Drive.
Police said details of this pursuit were broadcast to the nearby area commands. This is when Officer Marcos Gomez and his partner witnessed the vehicle matching the description near Tonapah Avenue and Bruce Street.
Officer Gomez and his partner followed the vehicle to the 1800 block of North Las Vegas Boulevard, where the vehicle crashed into a tree and another parked vehicle in a parking lot.
Metro said the officers approached the crashed vehicle, but Mendoza fled northbound on foot through the parking lot. The officers chased after Mendoza until Officer Gomez encountered him on a sidewalk. Mendoza then fired one round at Officer Gomez but did not strike him.
Metro said Officer Gomez fired his weapon back and struck Mendoza in the left leg. They said Officer Gomez fired four rounds.
According to Metro, the bodycam of Officer Gomez shows the foot pursuit up until the first round is fired from Mendoza. After that, the bodycam seems to freeze and malfunction. Metro said they do not know why this happened and they are looking into it.
The bodycam of Officer Gomez's partner shows an extended portion of the shooting in which the officers take cover on the sidewalk. Further video surveillance from a nearby building shows the suspect firing a shot at the officer. The video also shows Mendoza continuing to flee.
More officers responded to set up a perimeter to find Mendoza, but Metro said they were not successful.
On Dec. 1, 2024, Metro said they located Mendoza after relentless follow-up in the 600 block of Linn Lane. They said he peacefully surrendered.
Metro said this is when they learned Mendoza had been shot and immediate medical attention was provided. He was taken to UMC for further treatment before being released and booked into the Clark County Detention Center.
This is the 14th officer-involved shooting for 2024 in LVMPD's jurisdiction. Compared to this time last year, there were eight officer-involved shootings in LVMPD's jurisdiction.
