Dangerous Las Vegas police chase, shootout caught on camera
LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas police have released dramatic footage of a chase with a violent suspect that involved multiple carjacking attempts, crashes and a shootout with officers.
The incident started the evening of Aug. 11 when police were conducting aerial surveillance of a suspect wanted for a carjacking back in May.
As officers were watching from the police chopper, the suspect commited another carjacking.
Footage from the chopper shows him drive up to another driver in a Chevrolet Avalanche, climb in the window and drive off, with the victim jumping out on foot.
That initiated a wild and dangerous chase.
At various points, the suspect was firing out his window at officers, driving the wrong way on major streets and attempting to carjack additional vehicles. He hit speeds up to 100 mph, police say. He also drove his car straight at officers on foot, prompting them to fire at him.
At one point, officers pulled up next to the vehicle to attempt a PIT maneuver. The suspect is seen firing two rounds from his window at the officers as they pull up behind.
The officers quickly return fire through their own windshield and back off from the pursuit. The bullets struck his vehicle but not him.
The chase ended and he was taken into custody after he intentionally crossed over lanes of traffic to ram a police K9 vehicle at 67 mph, investigators say. The force of the impact disabled his own vehicle and officers were able to take him into custody.
The human officer in that K9 vehicle was treated for minor injuries and the police dog named Boris was not injured.
The suspect has been identified as Justin Venegas, 40. He was treated at a local hospital and then released into police custody.
The incident involved two exchanges of gunfire, in which officers fired more than three dozen rounds. Venegas fired four rounds total, two at the officers who approached him and two at a person he tried unsuccessfully to carjack in the middle of the chase.
Venegas was not struck by gunfire during the incident. Several officers incurred minor injuries from crashes.
Venegas is now facing multiple charges that included attempted murder, attempted robbery and felony evading, as well as robbery and assault charges for the original incident back in May that triggered the investigation.
Bodycam and aerial footage and full briefing by Las Vegas police can be seen here.
