Clark County officials held a public fact-finding review Monday, June 9, in the case of a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred on May 16, 2023, in North Las Vegas.
The incident involved the death of Felicia Rene Guzman, 42, who was shot four times by North Las Vegas police officers after allegedly threatening her roommates with a knife at a home on Basin Brook Drive.
On May 15 of this year, Guzman’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of North Las Vegas and the two officers involved alleging the use of excessive force. This fact-finding review was a separate process required by a Clark County ordinance and was not part of the lawsuit.
At 4:33 p.m., the North Las Vegas Police Department received a 911 call from a victim who reported, “A lady just pulled a knife out and cut me.” The caller claimed Guzman cut their throat, but they declined medical treatment.
According to North Las Vegas Police Detective Dave Smith, who presented details about the police department’s involvement in the incident, Sgt. Becky Salkoff and Officer Caitlyn Ebert arrived at the scene and spoke with the homeowner who had witnessed the altercation. The witness told the officers that Guzman had used fentanyl and appeared to be acting erratically.
“It seemed like she was on new drugs that made her go wild,” the witness said, according to Smith. “She heard voices in her head, danced in the middle of the street, and ran around to all of the neighbors’ [houses]."
While officers interviewed the witness outside the home, Guzman exited the residence holding a knife above her head and began advancing toward the officers. Despite repeated commands to stop and sit down, Guzman continued to move forward, leaving four feet between them.
“There were six seconds from the time [Guzman] left the front door until the first shot was fired,” Smith said.
Josh Tomsheck, the ombudsman representing the public and Guzman’s family, questioned why officers did not use less-lethal force. Smith said Guzman closed the distance too quickly.
“It’s possible officers could have used less-lethal force,” Smith said, “[such as] deploying a K-9, but Guzman forced their hands and effectively took that away.”
Body camera footage showed Guzman was approaching the officers in the driveway with the knife raised. Smith said nearby landscaping lights and the positioning of a parked car created a tripping hazard, limiting the officers’ ability to safely retreat.
Although a K-9 officer-in-training was on scene, department policy prohibits deploying a dog without approval from a superior when a suspect is armed with a deadly weapon. By the time the officer received permission and began retrieving the dog from the vehicle, shots had already been fired.
After Guzman had been shot, officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived. She was transported to University Medical Center’s trauma unit, where she later died.
An autopsy revealed that Guzman died from gunshot wounds to her torso. Toxicology results showed that she had alcohol and fentanyl in her system at the time of her death.
Guzman’s family was not present at this fact-finding review, as they live out of state and couldn’t travel.
North Las Vegas Police stated that neither officer involved in the shooting faced internal repercussions. However, since the Guzman family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, the department’s legal team will need to respond in court at a later date.
