A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper opened fire on a driver who rammed a patrol vehicle in east Las Vegas Friday afternoon, touching off a brief pursuit that ended when the suspect's car slammed into a pole near Sahara Avenue and Boulder Highway. The driver was taken to a hospital with gunshot wound injuries, and the trooper was hospitalized as a precaution after reporting no serious injuries.
The crash happened just after 4 p.m. near Boulder Highway and Sandhill Road, when a vehicle struck a Nevada Highway Patrol vehicle, according to ktnv.com. During the incident, the trooper discharged their firearm, the outlet reported. A separate Review-Journal report reviewjournal.com described the shooting as occurring near Boulder Highway and South Mojave Road, not Sandhill Road.
The suspect vehicle fled the scene and later struck a pole near Sahara Avenue and Boulder Highway, police said, per news3lv.com. The driver of the suspect vehicle was taken to an area hospital with gunshot wound injuries, the outlet reported, though the driver's condition was not immediately shared, according to FOX5 Las Vegas.
Trooper Hospitalized as a Precaution, Placed on Leave
The involved trooper did not report serious injuries and was also transported to an area hospital as a precaution, the same account noted. The trooper has since been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, a standard step following officer-involved shootings.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Force Investigation Team is conducting the officer-involved shooting investigation, in accordance with protocol, per the report. The intersection was shut down in all directions while the investigation continued, snarling traffic through the busy east valley corridor Friday afternoon. Authorities cautioned that the information released so far is preliminary.
Part of a Broader Pattern Across the Valley
The shooting adds to a string of officer-involved incidents reported across the Las Vegas Valley this year. In a separate case in the west valley, a Metro officer was reported to have negligently discharged his firearm during response to a stolen vehicle before the suspect crashed into two LVMPD patrol vehicles at an apartment complex, according to 8newsnow.com.
Citywide, officer-involved shootings have fluctuated in recent years. A total of seven officer-involved shootings occurred in 2025, compared with a five-year average of 11.6 and 17 incidents in 2024, per data reported by 8newsnow.com. No arrest, charge or court information connected to Friday's shooting has been released, and neither the trooper nor the driver has been publicly identified.
