A motorist being pursued by officers on Interstate 15 was shot and killed by officers after striking a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper with a car, according to officials.
The trooper sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to University Medical Center, said patrol spokesman Trooper Travis Smaka. Smaka said the suspect died at the scene, located near the Las Vegas Strip between the Sahara Avenue and Flamingo Road exits.
Smaka said the suspect was being pursued on southbound lanes for a “felony crime.”
It wasn’t clear what that crime was and where the chase began. The investigation shut down the freeway in the southbound direction.
The trooper was struck when he was trying to place stop sticks on the road, which are designed to deflate tires, Smaka said.
The car being chased stopped and officers opened fire, Smaka said. It wasn’t clear what prompted the gunshots.
A video shared by KLAS-TV Channel 8 shows the car spin out of control, and officers get out of their cruisers before gunshots can be heard.
Smaka said the trooper who was struck was “fighting for his life.” He described him as “a member of our family,” whom he has worked with in the past during overnight shifts.
Metro Police was conducting the investigation and more information was forthcoming, Smaka said.