LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas Metro Police are investigating after a valley homeowner fatally shot an intruder last week, officials said.
Once the investigation is complete, Metro will send the case to the District Attorney's office for a "self-defense review."
WATCH | Nevada's Castle Doctrine explained
The incident comes just a week after police say another homeowner shot two armed men who approached him in his garage.
In the wake of these recent shootings, I spoke with Michael Johnston, a use-of-force expert and CEO of Code 4 Consulting, about what rights homeowners have in these situations. Johnston is also a retired Henderson Police captain.
"The Castle Doctrine is designed to protect you and your family when you are in your home or in your car. You don't have to wait to be injured, but there does have to be some level of threat that you feel personally in the need of self-defense," Johnston said.
However, Johnston warns that taking action without sufficient threat can have serious consequences.
"While the Castle Doctrine is designed to protect you from the criminal side of a homicide, right, because the taking of another human life is a homicide, to make it justifiable would be the Castle Doctrine. But on the flip side is the civil litigation that could come on the backside of it. So while you might be justified criminally, there's always a civil side that you have to be concerned with," Johnston said.
Former Clark County District Attorney David Roger says there are three things prosecutors look at when considering these cases.
"So a person can use deadly force in self-defense under the following circumstances… First, they can't be the aggressor. You have to be in actual fear of your safety or the safety of another person, and your fear has to be reasonable," Roger said.
Both experts say homeowners should make sure they know Nevada law before defending their home.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
