A police officer tackling protesters was critically injured by a gunshot in the southern part of Las Vegas Boulevard, while officers killed a protester who reportedly reached for a gun in a separate incident just two miles away.
The police officer was shot near Circus Circus hotel-casino, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said. Some local media initially reported that he had received a fatal head injury, but the authorities later announced that he was in a critical condition at University Medical Center.
The shooting happened as the officer “dealt with protesters” outside of the casino, Sheriff Joe Lombardo told journalists. A suspect in the shooting was arrested shortly afterwards.
The other incident happened outside a federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas, where police and federal agents were deployed to guard the building from protesters. They spotted an armed person who appeared to be wearing body armor and “engaged” him as he reached for a firearm, the sheriff said.
The gunman was pronounced dead in hospital, where he was taken after being hit by multiple gunshots. He was “an open-carry individual” who apparently was part of the protest, Lombardo said.
Like many other cities in the US, Las Vegas witnessed mass demonstrations on Monday over the death of George Floyd in police custody. There were clashes between police and protesters during the night, with law enforcement using tear gas.
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