Video: Nev. Police Officers Stop Advancing Knife-Wielding Suspect

A 34-year-old man armed with knives and a history of similar prior incidents was fatally shot by North Las Vegas police when he began advancing on officers.

Aug. 14, 2025

2 min read

What to know

North Las Vegas police released body camera footage showing officers fatally shooting a 34-year-old man after he advanced toward them with two knives despite repeated commands in English and Spanish to drop them.
Officers were responding to a domestic disturbance when the suspect, who had a history of violent offenses and prior police encounters involving knives, was shot by an officer.
No officers were injured, and the shooting is under investigation.

By Bryan Horwath

Source Las Vegas Review-Journal

The North Las Vegas Police Department on Wednesday released body camera footage of an officer fatally shooting a man on Friday.

Sebastian Gomez, 34, died Friday at University Medical Center after he was shot by an officer as he appeared to approach police with two knives.

Police released body camera footage from North Las Vegas officers Saul Macias and Julian Castro, who could be seen attempting to apprehend Gomez as he walked down a street while holding a knife in each hand.

The officers can be heard offering commands like “drop the knife” and “you will be shot” repeatedly in the footage. They spoke in English and in Spanish.

At about 1:50 p.m., according to a time stamp, Gomez appears to start jogging toward Castro, who proceeds to fire on him.

Gomez died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Clark County coroner’s office. No officers were injured.

Police had responded to a reported domestic disturbance in the 3100 block of Emmons Avenue, near the area of Lake Mead Boulevard and Pecos Road.

In a video that accompanied the footage of the shooting, North Las Vegas officer Roberto Vaquera said Castro and Macias have been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident continues to be investigated. Castro has been with the department since 2022 while Macias has been with the department since 2018.

Police said Gomez had past arrests for resisting a public officer with a deadly, and multiple domestic battery offenses.

“Records show officers had responded to multiple prior incidents involving the suspect in recent months,” Vaquera said. “These include reports of (Gomez) being armed with knives, threatening neighbors, and displaying erratic behavior consistent with him being off his prescribed medication. In one previous call, he allegedly threatened to kill a neighbor and her family.”

This was the third officer-involved shooting in North Las Vegas in 2025, police said.

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