LAS VEGAS (AP) - Authorities say a 4-year-old girl was saved from a hostage barricade situation in Las Vegas after police fatally shot a heavily armed man.
Police were initially called Saturday night about a woman suffering from a gunshot wound in a residential neighborhood in northwest Las Vegas. She was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said a man seen with a handgun started firing shots from the front and back of the house after officers approached the home where the domestic dispute and shooting reportedly occurred.
The girl was then discovered inside as crisis negotiators surrounded the property.
Police said the man fired shots at the SWAT team when the officers stormed inside about 12 a.m. Sunday, more than two hours after the initial call. Police said a group of four officers returned fire, striking the man.
He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The Clark County coroner’s office as of Sunday has not released the man’s identity.
Police believed that the child could have been in imminent danger, as the man had six different firearms and fired at least seven shots from inside the home before officers went inside, said Capt. Kelly McMahill of the Las Vegas police department’s office of internal oversight.
“Luckily, they were able to rescue the 4-year-old little girl inside and get her out to safety, where she remains unharmed this morning,” McMahill said in a briefing.
The child was also sent to a hospital though she was not hurt.
The police department said it will name the four officers involved within 48 hours and a full briefing will be held within 72 hours, per department protocol. This is the 10th police shooting this year where Las Vegas officers opened fire or were shot at.
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