Video After The Jump
Las Vegas police on Monday released body camera footage of two men weaving through traffic and shooting at officers during a violent chase downtown that left one of the men dead and the other wounded Wednesday morning. Fidel Miranda, 22, and Rene Nunez, 30, are suspects in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Thomas Romero, who was shot multiple times in the chest at a car wash at 1402 N. Eastern Ave. Romero died that morning at University Medical Center. While investigating that shooting, police found a 2000 Ford Expedition that matched the description of the suspects’ car just after 9:30 a.m., near near 29th Street and Constantine Avenue, Assistant Sheriff Tim Kelly said at a briefing Monday. Then the SUV sped off. Miranda and Nunez swerved around cars and raced through oncoming traffic — along Mojave Road, Charleston Boulevard and Eastern Avenue — while firing at police, Kelly said. They fired 34 rounds in five volleys during the pursuit, he said, while officers fired 31 shots. The footage shows officer William Umana, 43, following the suspects, yelling “shots fired, shots fired” into his radio.
When another police car joins the chase, Umana warned the officer to stay back. The second officer’s car was hit by bullets at least twice and could not finish the chase. As the chase neared its end, Umana can be seen in the video pulling his car closer to the SUV and firing 11 shots through his windshield and seven shots through his open window. One civilian’s car was struck by gunfire, Kelly said. Nunez exited the car as it was still moving near Hollingsworth Elementary School, 1776 E. Ogden Ave., and ran up steps outside of the school and attempted to enter, but the door was locked, Kelly said Miranda moved to the driver’s seat of the car and attempted to reverse toward Umana, Kelly said. Umana left his car and continued to fire while plain-clothes officer Paul Soloman, 46, approached the passenger-side door. Soloman fired his shotgun once and hit Miranda. The vehicle came to a stop at the north wall of the school, and Miranda was handcuffed while medical was called, Kelly said.
Miranda was pronounced dead at the scene. Umana and Soloman were not injured. Police arrested Nunez, who had gunshot wounds from either the previous shooting or the pursuit. Soloman, the plain-clothes officer, was not wearing a body camera, Kelly said. Nunez is accused of stealing the SUV on May 20 in North Las Vegas, Kelly said. One of the guns Nunez used during the pursuit was reported stolen from North Las Vegas on May 20. Miranda and Nunez also had aliases, “Cabezon” and “Kreeepper,” respectively, which could be gang-related, he said. Nunez faces multiple counts of murder with a deadly weapon and attempted murder with a deadly weapon. He remained in the Clark County Detention Center on Monday without bail. Kelly praised Umana and Soloman as brave and heroic. “The officer could have backed off, but he didn’t,” he said, referring to Umana.
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