UPDATE JUNE 6: During a press briefing Tuesday, Las Vegas police released the name of the woman involved in last week's shooting. Arvella Barber was arrested after the incident near Silver Lake and Vegas drives.
According to her arrest report, Barber shot at Officer Luis Vidal four separate times and he shot at her once. Neither was injured.
Police said the gun in Barber's possession was a stolen firearm.
Records also found that Barber was a convicted felon for attempted child abuse/neglect and was under Nevada Parole and Probation supervision.
Barber was arrested on charges of attempted murder of a police officer, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, resisting a police officer with a firearm, prohibited person with a firearm and possession of stolen property.
All the other occupants involved in the incident were located, interviewed and released.
UPDATE JUNE 2: The officer involved in Wednesday's shooting has been identified as 26-year-old Luis Vidal, who has been with the department since February 2014. He is on routine paid administrative leave.
ORIGINAL STORY
No injuries were reported when an exchange of gunfire happened between a stolen vehicle suspect and a police officer Wednesday.
Around 4:11 p.m., Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers were dispatched to a parking lot located in the 2200 block of North Rancho Drive to investigate reports of a possible attempt by multiple female suspects to steal a vehicle.
As officers arrived, the suspects got into another vehicle and left the scene. One officer attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, but the vehicle did not stop. Per department policy, the vehicle was not pursued, but officers started searching the surrounding area for the vehicle.
A short time later, the vehicle was located unoccupied in a neighborhood near the intersection of Vegas and Sunset drives. An officer observed a female walking away from the vehicle who matched the description of one of the suspects.
The officer gave the woman commands to step in front of his vehicle and she did not comply. The woman was carrying a backpack or purse, and at some point produced a handgun from the bag. There was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and the officer.
Neither the officer nor the suspect was struck.
The suspect was taken into custody near the intersection of Silver Lake and Vegas drives by other arriving officers. The handgun the suspect fired was found in a trash can near where she was taken into custody and was later found to have been
reported stolen.
Two other suspects were taken into custody at a casino nearby, and the last suspect was taken into custody just after 7:30 p.m. in the area.
This is the 7th officer involved shooting of 2017. Per LVMPD policy, the identity of the officer involved will be released after 48 hours.
Capt. Kelly McMahill of the LVMPD Office of Internal Oversight provided a brief statement regarding this incident. The video can be viewed below.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
