A man accused of shooting and killing a Las Vegas police officer during a traffic stop last week fired 18 rounds at police, and his fatal shot penetrated the officer's bulletproof vest.
Newly released body camera footage captured Thursday's violent incident that left Officer Truong Thai dead, as well as the eventual arrest of Tyson Hampton, the suspect who allegedly killed the officer, KVVU-TV reports. The shooting happened after Thai and his partner pulled over Hampton.
In the video, Thai approached the car and asked Hampton to put his hands on the steering wheel. When Hampton began to reach toward the passenger seat, Thai tried to stop him before backing away.
Hampton then began to drive away slowly while shooting 18 rounds from a handgun that had been modified to fire AK-47 ammunition. Thai and Officer Ryan Gillihan exchanged fire with Hampton, with Thai firing 5 shots and Gillihan seven.
During the shootout, Thai was struck in the side by a shot that went through his bulletproof vest. Despite the gunshot wound that would prove to be fatal, Thai continued to shoot at Hampton.
“(E)ven after being mortally wounded, Officer Thai was able to return fire as he laid on the ground,” Clark County Assistant Sheriff Andrew Walsh told KVVU.
Thai was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
After the shooting, a police helicopter was called in to track Hampton near a hotel. Police then performed a PIT maneuver to stop Hampton. Officers and a K-9 then apprehended him.
