Four Carson City deputies on administrative leave following Friday chase, shootout at Sand Mountain
Reno police are now involved in the investigation involving Friday night's chase from Carson City to Sand Mountain Recreation Area in Churchill County in which a possible suspect in a double homicide earlier in Washoe Valley was killed during a shootout with authorities.
Four Carson City Sheriff’s Office deputies and three Nevada Highway Patrol troopers who were involved in the shooting and have been placed on routine paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation, a Reno Police Department spokesman said. It is a routine in any case where an officer/deputy has discharged a firearm and one or more bullets strike a person.
The vehicle pursuit, which at times was at speeds between 90 to 100 mph, began in Carson City at around 7:45 p.m. after an attempt to locate was broadcast to surrounding northern Nevada law enforcement agencies of a possible homicide suspect who was driving a white Jeep Cherokee. The vehicle was seen fleeing the scene of a homicide that had occurred in Washoe Valley and that case is currently being investigated by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies from the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, and the Nevada Highway Patrol located the vehicle in the Carson City area, and a vehicle pursuit ensued when the suspect vehicle failed to yield for the Officers. The pursuit continued east of Carson City on Highway 50 which went through several other law enforcement jurisdictions to include Lyon County, Fallon Police and Churchill County. Deputies from those agencies also joined in the pursuit. The suspect entered the Sand Mountain Recreational Area, and fired several shots at officers who then returned fire at the suspect.
The suspect suffered several gunshot injuries and died at the scene. His identification is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. There were no injuries to any of the officers involved.
Pursuant to the Washoe County OIS Protocol, the OIS investigation is being conducted by multiple local law enforcement agencies, with detectives from the Reno Police Department in the lead.
When the preliminary investigation is complete it will be submitted to the Churchill County District Attorney’s Office for an initial determination as to whether the shooting was justified under Nevada Law.
The Reno Police Department is asking the public for assistance in locating any witnesses to the pursuit who may have been driving on Highway 50 at the time of the pursuit, and who may have observed the suspects driving behavior. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the Reno Police Department at (775) 334-2175 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900.
- Carson City
- carson
- Chase
- Churchill County
- City
- county
- deputies
- died
- Driving
- Fallon
- fire
- fleeing
- FRIDAY
- highway
- information
- local
- lyon county
- May
- mountain
- Nevada
- Nevada Highway Patrol
- News
- Northern Nevada
- officers
- police
- police department
- public
- pursuit
- recreation
- reno police department
- Sand Mountain
- secret witness
- Shooting
- vehicle
- Washoe
- Washoe Valley
- White
- law enforcement
- reno