By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper fired a round into a vehicle early Sunday after a woman pointed a gun at troopers during a traffic stop in Las Vegas and said “I will shoot.”
• The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. on an Interstate 15 on-ramp at St. Rose Parkway after the woman ran a red light.
• Body camera footage released by officials shows the woman refusing to exit the vehicle and a dog lunging at troopers before the shot was fired.
• The woman was taken to a hospital and then into custody; she faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper fired a single round into a woman’s vehicle during a traffic stop early Sunday after she allegedly pointed a handgun at troopers and threatened to shoot, law enforcement officials said.
The encounter unfolded just before 1 a.m. on an Interstate 15 on-ramp at St. Rose Parkway after the woman was stopped for allegedly running a red light, Nevada Highway Patrol Col. Michael Edgell said at a Wednesday news conference.
Body-worn camera footage released by patrol officials shows the woman refusing multiple orders to exit her vehicle, a dog from her vehicle lunging toward troopers and the woman raising a firearm before the trooper fired a round that entered through the driver’s side window and windshield.
After the shot was fired, the woman dropped what she was holding and raised her empty hands, Edgell said. She was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, including scratches to her neck, before being taken into custody.
Court records show the woman, identified as 51-year-old Barbara Lu of Montana, was charged with assault on a protected person with a deadly weapon and resisting with a firearm, both felonies, along with misdemeanor counts of DUI, running a red light and improper parking.
A loaded 9 mm pistol was recovered from Lu’s vehicle, and animal control took custody of two dogs found inside, Edgell said. The Metropolitan Police Department is leading an ongoing investigation, which officials expect to last several months.