Three officers shot and one suspect dead after chaotic traffic stop in Nevada

Three officers in Reno, northern Nevada, were victims of a shooting last Friday in an incident that began as a simple traffic stop in the Reno area, and quickly escalated into a multi-hour armed standoff that included multiple exchanges of gunfire between the agents and the suspect, who was killed.

According to City of Sparks Police Chief Chris Crawforth at a news conference Saturday, the injured officers, who include two Sparks police officers and a Washoe County sheriff’s deputy, were treated for their injuries and have already been discharged from the hospital.

The standoff, which continued late into the night, ended around 10:30 pm on Friday. Officers found the suspect dead inside a stranger’s home where he had been hiding. The suspect’s identity has not yet been released.

The incident began when a Sparks police officer stopped a vehicle. As he approached the car, the driver pulled out a gun and shot through the window, hitting the officer in the shoulder. The suspect then fled the scene, crashed the vehicle and continued to flee on foot.

Law enforcement officers from three different agencies attempted to search for the suspect in a suburban neighborhood a couple of miles east of Reno. At that time, police closed nearby streets, evacuated homes and advised residents to shelter within a four-block perimeter of the neighborhood, Crawforth said.

Officers approached a home where the suspect was seen entering. An elderly resident opened the door and fell to the ground as the suspect opened fire on the officers, according to the police chief. At this time, a Washoe County deputy and a second Sparks police officer were injured during the confrontation.

For his part, the suspect later fled to the backyard of another house and began shooting at the officers again before retreating inside the house. Throughout the confrontation that continued into the night, the suspect shot at the officers several times, who returned fire.

Although the suspect was reported dead, no details were given about how he died. Meanwhile, the investigation remains ongoing.

With information from the Associated Press