A Las Vegas police officer shot a man who pointed a pneumatic gun at him during a foot chase early Saturday morning in Spring Valley, according to an arrest report.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Mitchell Nettles, 43, on Saturday. He faces three felony charges of assault on a protected person with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed dangerous weapon without a permit and resisting a public officer with a dangerous weapon, online court records show.
Metro identified the officer who shot Nettles as Alex Pena, 26. Pena has been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of the shooting, the department said.
While on patrol near the 4500 block of Arville Street around 3:20 a.m. on Saturday, the report said, Pena saw Nettles exit out of a wash area marked with no trespassing signs and cross Arville Street outside of a marked crosswalk.
The report said Pena stopped Nettles, who told Pena he worked for the Metropolitan Police Department but refused to identify himself. Pena approached Nettles to handcuff him for not cooperating and refusing to identify himself, but Nettles shouted at the officer to back up and ran away from Pena north on Arville Street, according to the report.
During the foot chase, the report said, Nettles reached into his rear waistband, pulled out what Pena believed to be a gun and pointed the item at Pena. Pena shot his gun at Nettles, who dropped his weapon and kept running, the report said.
Detectives later determined that the firearm Pena saw Nettles brandish was a pneumatic gun, according to the report.
Worried that Nettles would access the nearby Orleans Hotel and Casino, the report said, Pena shot at Nettles again and struck him in his left thigh. Another officer shot Nettles in his back with a bean bag round fired from a low-lethality shotgun, according to the report.
Additional officers arrived to surround and arrest Nettles outside the Orleans Arena, the report said. Police said Nettles was transported to University Medical Center where his injuries were treated. Nettles declined to speak with detectives while in the hospital, according to the report.
Las Vegas Justice Court records show Nettles’ bail is set at $40,000. His initial appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, according to court records.
Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.
