Police shot man after he allegedly fired at them in casino parking lot
By: Two Metropolitan Police Department officers shot and wounded a 48-year-old man suspected in a series of robberies after he allegedly shot at police officers, a senior Metro officer said.
Matthew Glunt was shot by Detective Christopher Gowens and Officer Joshua Leach in a parking lot at the Gold Coast, at West Flamingo Road and South Valley View Boulevard, at about 11 p.m. Thursday, Assistant Sheriff Yasenia Yatomi said during a news conference at Metro headquarters Tuesday.
Glunt was taken to University Medical Center and was “stable,” Yatomi said.
In a telephone interview Tuesday evening, Glunt’s mother Cecile Glunt, 73, said she has been unable to get any information about her son’s condition from police or prosecutors.
“My heart’s broken. I’m in shock. I don’t have any answers,” said Cecile Glunt, who lives in Florida and is planning to fly to Las Vegas on Friday.
Cecile Glunt said that her son is suffering from a third bout of cancer and that he told her he didn’t want to live.
Police body camera footage from both Gowens and Leach was shown at the news conference and released to the media Tuesday.
“What you will see in this video is Glunt firing two rounds at our officers before we returned fire,” Yatomi said.
The footage shows a man that Yatomi said was Glunt holding up a CZ P-10 9 mm handgun.
Yatomi said Glunt pointed it toward officers and shot at them, firing five rounds in total.
In the videos, which are blurred from movement, it’s difficult to definitively see the man firing shots. But at least two, possibly three, popping sounds are heard before a much louder barrage of gunfire is heard being fired by the officer who was wearing the body camera that captured the footage in one of the videos.
One video shows one of the officers shooting his Taser and then shouting “413” — the Metro code for person with a gun.
The other video appears to show the other officer firing shots at the man as he appears to run away from officers.
Yatomi said Glunt ignored officers’ verbal commands.
One officer shot his Taser, but it wasn’t effective, Yatomi said.
“At that time, Glunt discharged his firearm towards officers,” Yatomi said.
Yatomi said Gowens fired 15 rounds from his SIG Sauer P320 9 mm handgun that was equipped with a tactical light.
Leach fired six rounds from his Smith and Wesson M&P 9 mm handgun, Yatomi said.
The officers arrested Glunt. Yatomi said they took life-saving measures by applying a tourniquet.
“Fortunately, none of our officers were seriously physically injured during this incident,” Yatomi said.
Gowens, 45, has worked for Metro since 2014, while Leach, 33, has been with the department since 2020.
Gowens is assigned to the investigative services division for the major violators/narcotics crimes bureau. Leach works in the east community policing division in northeast Las Vegas.
According to Review-Journal archives, Gowens was identified by Metro in two fatal police shootings in 2015 and 2016.
Yatomi said the shooting was precipitated by Metro’s investigation of a series of commercial robberies that had been happening in the Las Vegas and North Las Vegas since May 14. She didn’t say which businesses were targeted, but said the man would demand money through a note.
Several Metro units “combined their investigative efforts to locate and apprehend Glunt,” Yatomi said.
On Thursday, detectives saw Glunt walking to his parked vehicle on the top level of the parking garage on the east side of the Gold Coast.
Glunt is facing multiple charges including three counts of attempted murder of a police officer, three counts each of burglary and robbery counts and several other charges.
Yatomi said Glunt has several felony convictions on drug and robbery charges.