District attorney releases reviews of three more officer-involved shootings

CREATED Jun. 20, 2012

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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- The Clark County District Attorney's office has ruled that three more officer-involved shootings were reasonable and lawful.

“While these were tragic events, the officers who dealt with David Paul Gonzalez and Michael Chevalier undoubtedly saved innocent lives,” District Attorney Steven Wolfson said. “Chevalier had already shot at police and was threatening to kill the woman he was holding hostage, and Gonzalez, an armed and dangerous killer, was speeding towards the Las Vegas Strip when officers stopped him. The officers are to be commended for their swift and decisive actions in both of these situations.”

All three shootings took place in April of 2011.

Chevalier was shot during a standoff with police on April 3, 2011. Police responded to an apartment on East Charleston Boulevard where Chevalier was allegedly assaulting a woman.

During an ensuing standoff, Chevalier fired a gun at officers and threatened to kill himself and the woman.

Eventually, police officers stormed the apartment and Chevalier was shot at that time.

On April 11, 2011, police tried to pull over a vehicle on Flamingo Avenue because of a broken tail light. The driver took off instead.

Police stopped the vehicle near Swenson Street. The driver -- David Paul Gonzalez -- got out of the vehicle and shot at the police officers.

The officers shot back. Police later learned that Gonzalez was in violation of his parole and the gun he used was also used in a shooting three weeks earlier.

Police were responding to a call about a suicidal man when Hamlan was shot.

Police were called to a home in the 3900 block of Grand Meadow Street on April 12, 2011. When police arrived, they found Abdul Hamlan crying inside the garage.

He told police officers to "just go ahead and shoot me then" and pointed his gun at the responding officers.

Hamlan was shot when he refused to drop the gun.

The determinations that officers acted lawfully in these situations is based upon evidence available at this time.

Traditionally, officer-involved deaths are reviewed during a coroner's inquest hearing. However, changes to the inquest procedures drew legal challenges that have stalled the process.

In light of this delay, the District Attorney's Office is now reviewing 19 cases. Eleven reviews have now been released.

The cases could be reexamined if new information comes to light. The full reviews for all cases that have been reviewed so far are posted on the district attorney's website.