Joshua Squires
Before he was shot and killed by a Metro Police SWAT officer Monday, a man pointed a gun at police and held his mother hostage in her east Las Vegas mobile home.
The lookalike 9 mm handgun Joshua Squires used was a replica missing the orange tip that identifies it as such, said Assistant Sheriff Chris Darcy on Wednesday, noting how unlikely it is for officers to differentiate it without the safeguard.
Squires, 32, died at the scene in the 3700 block of Nellis Boulevard, near Desert Inn Road.
Squires was identified as a suspect who tried to set two cars on fire overnight Monday, Darcy said. Metro’s dayshift then took over the investigation.
About 7:10 a.m., Officer Raul Cabrera encountered Squires, who was on foot near the trailer park, Darcy said. When Cabrera tried to talk to him, he took off.
As they were running, Squires turned back and twice pointed a gun at Cabrera, Darcy said. Cabrera fired a round, missing.
Squires jumped a wall, circled back and ended up at his mother’s home, Darcy said. Metro SWAT and negotiators were summoned as Squires wasn’t letting family members exit the mobile home.
Officers received information that Squires was threatening to set the home on fire, and SWAT was ordered to enter, Darcy said.
Once the officers were inside, Darcy said, Squires pointed the gun again, prompting Officer Allyn Goodrich to fire a volley of bullets.
Squires went down but got back up, still holding the gun. Goodrich shot a second volley of gunfire, striking him dead, Darcy said.
Goodrich, who along with Cabrera was placed on routine paid leave, fired 11 rounds total.
Body camera footage showed the chase outside and the shooting inside, where Squires’ mother was sitting in the living room, while her son was in the dining room when officers entered.
Investigators were probing if mental health played a role in Squires’ actions, Darcy said.