A section of the famous Las Vegas Strip was closed Saturday night following a confrontation between police and an armed man who was reportedly weaving in and out of traffic, according to CBS News. Officers accidentally hit a young passerby when shooting at the suspect.
Police reportedly received multiple calls about a man who was walking between traffic and brandishing a weapon at pedestrians near the Bellagio Hotel and arrived at the scene at approximately 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. Officers fired at the suspect after he failed to respond to verbal commands. A section of the Strip, which is generally an extremely busy part of the city, was shut for several hours while authorities investigated, The Las Vegas Sun reported.
While the armed man was not hit, a bullet did graze a juvenile bystander who was passing by, according to Reuters. The bystander was given medical attention and was released from the University Medical Center in good condition. A bullet also grazed the clothing of another passerby, but no damage was sustained.
Capt. Matt McCarthy of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police told reporters that the armed man is familiar to police and known for selling things to tourists on the Strip. A busker on the Strip, Rachel Jael, described the suspect as "a sweet guy, always polite" who "[wasn't] capable of hurting a fly," according to the Las Vegas Sun.
McCarthy added that the gunman will face several felony charges for the incident but declined to give any other details at this time. The identity of the officer involved in the shooting will be released after 48 hours in line with departmental policy.
