In the predawn hours of August 23, 2015, a tense situation unfolded in a quiet Las Vegas neighborhood that would end in the death of 57-year-old William Lee Snider. The male resident was at the center of a standoff with police that began after a neighbor reported shots being fired. When officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the home on the 400 block of Lakehurst Road, they found Snider armed with a rifle.
For hours, authorities, including a SWAT team and
crisis negotiators, attempted to de-escalate the situation, urging Snider to put down his weapon. He repeatedly refused their commands. At one point, Snider exited his home and walked down the driveway, still armed. He then raised the rifle in the direction of officers who were positioned in an armored vehicle. Fearing for their lives and the safety of others in the area, two SWAT snipers, who were positioned on nearby rooftops, fired their weapons, striking Snider.
Medical assistance was immediately summoned, and Snider was transported to University Medical Center for treatment of multiple gunshot wounds. However, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The Clark County Coroner's office later confirmed the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds. A subsequent investigation by the Clark County District Attorney's Office reviewed the actions of the officers involved in the fatal shooting.
The district attorney's office ultimately determined that the actions of the two SWAT officers were not criminal in nature and were legally justified under the circumstances. They concluded that the officers responded with lethal force to protect themselves and civilians from a direct threat. Consequently, no arrests were made, and the officers were cleared of any wrongdoing in the death of William Snider.
