First idiot down of 2011

All over the country, there were Public Service Announcements imploring people not to shoot guns off at midnight on New Year's Eve. Granted, most people with even a lick of sense know this, but still, there were TV and radio commericals and newspaper stories warning of the dangers the the possible consequences if caught.

And still, we had these eight morons in North Las Vegas who just had to be stupid.

A North Las Vegas Police officer shot and killed a man while investigating celebratory gunfire in the area of Glendale Avenue and White Street on Saturday shortly after midnight, authorities said.

Two special operations officers who are part of North Las Vegas’ SWAT unit were participating in an intensified patrol looking for people shooting guns into the air to celebrate the new year, police Sgt. Tim Bedwell said during a Saturday afternoon news conference.

The officers noticed gunfire coming from the front yard of a house in the 600 block of East Glendale Avenue at 12:09 a.m., Bedwell said.

They saw a large group of people in the front yard and saw numerous guns, including at least one high-powered rifle, Bedwell said.

“The officers felt that the danger to the community was such that they had to intervene immediately and they challenged the persons to drop the firearms and they approached them,” he said.

The officers, who were in uniform, identified themselves before giving orders, Bedwell said.

The scene became chaotic, and one of the men pointed a handgun at one of the officers at arms-length, Bedwell said.

“The officer, in his own defense, brushed that firearm away and tried to control it,” Bedwell said.

During the struggle, the officer felt he was going to be shot and fired multiple times at the man, who ran a short distance before falling to the ground, Bedwell said.

No one else at the scene was injured in the incident, including the officer, officials said.

After the shooting, officers conducted a search of the yard and house and found a .357 magnum revolver, a 9mm pistol, a 30-30 rifle and a 380 pistol. Inside the home, two other weapons suspected of being used were recovered: a .38-caliber revolver and a .22-caliber revolver. Numerous boxes of ammunition and numerous spent shell casings were recovered.

Police identified eight people at the scene, but Bedwell said some might have fled before officers arrived.

Of those eight people, Bedwell said five were shooting guns; one of the five was killed and the other four were arrested and booked on suspicion of discharging a firearm where persons could be injured, a gross misdemeanor. Police identified the men as Heriberto Diaz, 31; Adam Sauceda, 23; Jose Rodriguez, 35; and Francisco Aguirre, 21.

Hopefully the remaining seven will reflect on this when tempted to try it again next year. I'm just glad that the officers all made it home safe at the end of their shift.