By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The Henderson Police Department released body camera video of an Oct. 3 standoff in which Ropati Tauiliili, 48, fired in all directions for about an hour before two SWAT officers shot and killed him.
- Police recovered 134 shell casings from the scene; no officers or bystanders were injured.
- The incident began around 3:45 p.m. with a 911 call reporting that Tauiliili had assaulted relatives at a home and pointed a rifle at them.
- Hours later, officers returned to the home after a report of gunfire and found a woman with two gunshot wounds, who was treated at a hospital and released.
- Tauiliili had a Beretta 9mm handgun and a Mossberg 5.56 rifle, according to police.
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Henderson Police Department has released body camera footage of the Oct. 3 officer-involved shooting of Ropati Tauiliili, 48, who fired more than 130 rounds during an hourlong standoff with officers, FOX 5 reported.
Police said the incident began around 3:45 p.m., when a family member called 911 to report that Tauiliili had come to a home and assaulted several relatives. Officers responding to the domestic disturbance learned he had battered residents, pointed a gun at them and left. Several hours later, officers returned to the home after a report of gunfire and found a woman with two gunshot wounds, who was treated at a hospital and released. Police impounded about 80 spent rifle casings and a high-capacity drum magazine from the home, according to News 3 LV.
According to police, Tauiliili told his employer by text and in a recorded phone call that he had harmed his family and intended to provoke a deadly confrontation with law enforcement. A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department air unit helped Henderson and other agencies locate him at a cemetery, where aerial footage shows him firing into the air.
Body camera video shows officers responding as shots rang out and escorting bystanders to safety. For about an hour, police said, Tauiliili fired in all directions, at times pointing the gun toward officers or bystanders. Officers recovered 134 shell casings at the scene.
When SWAT and other tactical units arrived and took cover near him, Tauiliili began firing at them, and two SWAT officers, Julian Diaz and Thomas Whitney, fired at the same time and struck him. Officers gave medical aid, but he died at the scene. No officers or bystanders were injured.
Police said Tauiliili had a Beretta 9mm handgun and a Mossberg 5.56 rifle. He had served about 15 years in prison in connection with a 1997 killing in Hawaii, according to police.