JUNE 5 UPDATE: A Las Vegas judge has set bail at $1 million for the man accused of shooting Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Officer Shay Mikalonis.
20-year-old Edgar Samaniego is during back in court on July 30 for a preliminary hearing. READ MORE HERE.
Bail set at $1M for Edgar Samaniego, the man accused of shooting @LVMPD Officer Shay Mikalonis. Samaniego is due back in court 7/30/20. His lawyer says he has no prior criminal history other than a DUI & this “appeared to be completely out of character.” @KTNV pic.twitter.com/fdqzI0TMZ0
— Alicia Pattillo (@aliciapattillo) June 5, 2020
JUNE 4 UPDATE: The officers involved in the June 1, 2020 officer involved shooting, which occurred in the 300 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard are Sgt. Ryan Fryman, Officer Dan Emerton, Officer Vernon Ferguson and Officer Andrew Locher.
Sgt. Fryman is 40 years old and has been employed with the LVMPD since 2007.
Officer Emerton is 38 years old and has been employed with the LVMPD since 2006.
Officer Ferguson is 36 years old and has been employed with the LVMPD since 2006.
Officer Locher is 53 years old and has been employed with the LVMPD since 1995.
All officers are assigned to the Professional Standards Division, Organizational Development Bureau. All officers have been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of this incident.
UPDATE 5 P.M.: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer Shay Mikalonis continues to fight for his life at the University Medical Center.
"In true warrior fashion, he's still fighting. He had a surgery where they were actually able to remove the bullet that was lodged in his neck," said officer Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association.
UPDATE 12:40 P.M. Las Vegas police officer Shay Mikalonis is recovering from a successful surgery, according to Las Vegas Police Protective Association President Steve Grammas.
UPDATE 10:47 A.M.: Edgar Samaniego, the 20-year-old man accused by police of shooting officer Shay Mikalonis during a protest, was denied bail in Las Vegas Justice Court this morning. He has been appointed a temporary public defender until he can be appointed another one.
Samaniego is also being held for committing a felony while out of custody on a separate charge.
UPDATE 10 A.M. JUNE 3: Las Vegas officer Shay Mikalonis is still at University Medical Center. The man accused of shooting him appear in a Las Vegas courtroom this morning.
UPDATE 11 P.M.: Las Vegas police officer Shay Mikalonis remains on life support Tuesday evening at the University Medical Center after a shooting take place late Monday night.
The local community showed support throughout the day Tuesday for the officer, including many bringing flowers and other things to the hospital and to where he was shot on Las Vegas Boulevard.
NOW: a sign and some candles are here at @UMCSN for @LVMPD Ofc. Shay Mikalonis as he fights for his life after he was shot following violence after last night’s demostrations. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/1YtboppOLG
— Joe Bartels (@Joe_Bartels) June 3, 2020
UPDATE 4:10 P.M.: The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has released the mug shot of the suspect in the shooting of officer Shay Mikalonis and identified him as 20-year-old Edgar Samaniego.
LVMPD Homicide Detectives said they responded to the scene and located video surveillance of the suspect firing a handgun at the officers as he walked down the street.
Detectives say they tracked Samaniego to a motel located across the street from the shooting, where SWAT Officers responded and took Samaniego into custody.
Samaniego was transported to the Clark County Detention Center and booked on one count of Attempt Murder on a Police Officer and two counts of Unlawful Discharging of a Firearm.
2:35 P.M. UPDATE: The police officer who was shot on Monday night has been identified as 29-year-old Shay Mikalonis. Mikalonis is assigned to the Convention Center Command, according to Asst. Sheriff Jones.
Mikalonis is still in grave condition at University Medical Center.
The man killed by police in downtown Las Vegas was identified as 25-year-old Jorge Gomez. Video of Gomez at the protest before the shooting was shown at the press conference.
Police say that Gomez was armed with 2 Glock pistols and a Glock with a carbine conversion kit.
Gomez reportedly ignored commands from police officers to leave the area of the federal building. Police also reportedly fired non-lethal rounds at Gomez before shooting him several times.
During the press conference, it was announced that the Nevada National Guard will be joining local law enforcement during any future protests.
1 P.M. UPDATE: Las Vegas police have announced a press conference at 2:15 p.m. 13 Action News will have a crew at the briefing. According to the notice, the police department will be providing an update on both shootings that happened late Monday night.
The first shooting shortly after 11 p.m. involved a Las Vegas police officer. The officer was shot while interacting with a group of protesters on Las Vegas Boulevard near the Circus Circus hotel-casino.
The 2nd shooting took place in downtown Las Vegas near the Foley Federal Building. During that incident, police shot a man who was reportedly armed and wear body armor.
Check back here for a livestream of the press conference or watch on our mobile app or Facebook.
11 A.M. UPDATE: There is still a police presence at University Medical Center this morning.
13 Action News reporter Kelsey McFarland has been outside the hospital all morning, waiting for news.
At this time, it is believed that the police officer is still alive.
Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said last night that the media could expect another briefing this morning. At this time, a time for that briefing has not been announced.
RELATED: Reaction to shooting of Las Vegas police officer during 5th night of protests
3:35 A.M. UPDATE: Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo held a press conference at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters early this morning.
Sheriff Lombardo says that the police officer who was shot shortly after 11 p.m. is in extremely critical condition and on life support at University Medical Center.
Lombardo says that police officers were dealing with a large group of protesters near the Circus Circus hotel-casino when a "shot rang out" and the officer went down. Lombardo says that the protesters were throwing rocks and other things at the officers before the officer was shot.
SWAT and K9 responded to the scene and were able to apprehend the suspected shooter.
The second shooting took place in front of the Foley Federal Building near Bridger Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.
Police officers were stationed at the building, protecting it against protesters.
An individual with multiple guns and wearing body armor approached the building and engaged the officers. They opened fire and the armed individual was struck several times. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased.
Lombardo told members of the press that he did not have any additional information at this time. Another press briefing will be held later today.
ORIGINAL STORY
A Las Vegas police officer was shot late Monday night during the 5th night of Black Lives Matter protests in the Las Vegas valley.
The shooting shortly after 11 p.m. happened on Las Vegas Boulevard near Circus Circus hotel-casino. The officer’s condition is unknown at this time and it is not known if any arrests have been made.
Additionally, Las Vegas police were involved in a shooting near Bridger Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard in the downtown area. The condition of the person who was shot in that incident is also unknown at this time.
LIVE BLOG: Night 5 of protests in Las Vegas over death of George Floyd
13 Action News had 2 crews in the downtown area at the time of the shooting, which happened shortly before 11:30 p.m.
Eyewitnesses told investigative reporter Joe Bartels that police shot a person with a gun after that person began firing at them during the protest in the downtown area.
My Office has been notified that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is currently working two separate incidents in Las Vegas. The State is in contact with local law enforcement and continues to monitor the situation.
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) June 2, 2020
It is unknown why the police officer was shot near the hotel-casino. Police were in the area because Monday night's protest began on the Las Vegas Strip before it moved to the downtown area. However, the shooting may or may not be related to the protests.
Protests in response to the death of a Minnesota man named George Floyd began in Las Vegas last Thursday.
Since then, there have been protests each night.
The protests have began peacefully every night, but usually tensions begin to rise and incidents begin to happen in the later hours. There have been multiple reports of police using tear gas and arresting protesters who refused to obey orders.
The protests on Thursday and Friday night took place on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
Saturday night’s protest centered around the Downtown Container Park.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says they arrested 155 people during Sunday night’s protest on the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding areas, including 148 misdemeanor arrests and 7 felonies.
80 people were arrested on Friday night, including 2 photojournalists.
RELATED: Black Lives Matter protest turns violent on Vegas Strip; 12 officers injured, 80 arrests
A local Black Lives Matter group, which has been responsible for organizing some of the protests, have been urging people to protest peacefully.
FIRST PROTEST: Peaceful demonstration in Las Vegas for justice after George Floyd's death
On Monday afternoon, President Trump called on all 50 states to dispatch the National Guard in response to protesters across the US.
13 Action News has reached out to Gov. Sisolak about the shootings on Monday night.
RELATED: Gov. Sisolak responds to President Trump's recommendation to deploy national guard
