Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has released new details regarding an officer-involved shooting that occurred earlier this month near a business on the 200 block of East Tropicana Avenue. According to News 3 LV, the incident took place on Friday last week, just before 10 a.m. Officers received a call about a male and female refusing to leave the business and making threats to employees. The man, identified as 37-year-old Percy Hawkins, was reportedly agitated and charged at officers while wielding a knife.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found Hawkins and a female accomplice, along with a dog, in the parking lot. Hawkins was reportedly holding a knife and had a metal necklace wrapped around his fist. As FOX5 Vegas reported, body-worn camera footage showed Hawkins charging towards the officers as they arrived. Officer Anthony Salinas, 26, discharged his weapon twelve times, while Officer Trenzel Allen, 27, fired six rounds from his Glock-19x 9 millimeter.
Both officers were part of LVMPD's Tourist Safety Division, Convention Center Area Command, and were placed on routine paid administrative leave, pending a review of the incident. This marks the 10th officer-involved shooting this year in Las Vegas. A witness from the area, Prince Aladu, told FOX5, "It was loud 'pop pop pop.' I’m like oh, this is a gun. If it’s a gun it has to be the police."
"This is a nice place," Aladu added. "Everybody's quiet out here, but hopefully I don't have to see it again. I feel bad." The female individual involved was not named, nor were further details about her involvement released. Hawkins, had he survived, would have faced two counts of attempted murder on a first responder and one count of resisting a public officer with a weapon, as FOX 5 VEGAS detailed. Surveillance and body camera footage from the shooting has been released to the public in a press conference held Tuesday following the incident.
