Christopher Earl Smith: Cops shoot and kill man in Michael Myers mask who threatened people with gun
NORTH LAS VEGAS, CALIFORNIA: Over the weekend in North Las Vegas, police shot and killed a man who was brandishing a gun and threatening bystanders while wearing a Michael Myers mask. According to Local 12, the masked man, 44-year-old Christopher Earl Smith, died from numerous gunshot wounds following a confrontation with police on Sunday, October 16, in a public park. The North Las Vegas Police Department (NLVPD) received complaints about a man threatening to kill people while donning a Halloween mask, and opened an officer-involved shooting investigation.
Dispatch received a call regarding a man attempting to pull a gun on the caller near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Carey Avenue just after 5.15 pm on Monday. “I work at the Carry Mini-mart, we have a guy out that had a gun and he’s pulled it on couple of customers. He’s kind of wacko,” an anxious caller informed the dispatchers. According to the police, the call then dropped, and they couldn't connect when they phoned the caller back.
READ MORE
Police were sent to the location but, according to the department's public relations officer Alexander Cuevas, they were unable to find the alleged gunman. Minutes later, at around 5.35 pm, dispatch received another call from the same person stating that the man was at a nearby car wash.
When dispatch inquired as to why they had not returned the agency's call, the caller stated they were “trying to avoid getting shot.”
The caller then stated that the man was carrying a gun and aiming it at him and other persons while donning a Halloween mask, according to the police. Then, dispatch received a second call from a nearby mini-mart. According to police, the second caller described a man brandishing a gun at patrons before exiting the store and heading toward the North Las Vegas Justice Center. The caller also mentioned that the man was sporting green socks and sneakers. Later, an officer approached the suspect at the Justice Center park. He was thought to be sporting a "Michael Myers-style" Halloween mask.
Officer Anthony Malear saw Smith, identified himself as a police officer, and urged him twice to halt where he was and put his hands up, according to the bodycam video that the police have made public. The video shows Smith approaching five witnesses as he started to reach for the allegedly stolen weapon in his belt.
“Stop reaching, don’t reach!” Malear can be heard shouting, before firing eight bullets at Smith.
Police discovered a video of the suspect leaving the mini-mart close to the area of the incident and were able to identify him as Christopher Earl Smith.
According to the coroner, Smith had a combination of oxycodone, alcohol, and THC in his body. He reportedly had a lengthy criminal history, including an attempted murder arrest.