A summer Sunday in Reno, Nevada, took a violent turn on August 31, 2014, ending in the death of 42-year-old Royal Shawn Binga, a White male. The events began to unfold around 5 p.m. inside the Shopper's Square Mall. There, Binga, armed with a gun, robbed a 62-year-old female employee working at a slot machine area.
As Binga was accosting the woman and trying to access her cash drawer, her screams drew the attention of several people nearby.
A supervisor from a CVS in the mall attempted to intervene by throwing a bottle of water at Binga. As other citizens moved to help, Binga fled into the main concourse of the mall. Two men gave chase, with one calling 911 to report the robbery. When Binga reached a set of locked exit doors at the northwest corner of the mall, he turned back towards his pursuers, shouting that he had a gun. One of the men managed to trip Binga and tried to hold him down. During the struggle, Binga shot the man in the chest. The man survived his injuries.
Following the shooting, Binga fled the mall. Responding Reno Police officers were directed by a witness to a white truck leaving the area, identifying the driver as the robber. A high-speed pursuit ensued through the city streets. After briefly losing sight of the truck, officers relocated it in a cul-de-sac. Binga initially exited the vehicle but then got back in, ignoring police commands, and drove towards the officers. He then led them on another chase which concluded in front of the Peppermill Casino.
At the casino, Binga slowed his truck, got out from the passenger side, and started walking towards the entrance. An officer attempted to physically subdue him but was unsuccessful. Binga then turned to face the officer with a firearm in his hand. Believing Binga posed an imminent threat to the officer and the public, officers opened fire. Despite receiving immediate medical aid from the officers on the scene, Royal Shawn Binga died from his injuries. The Washoe County District Attorney's Office later reviewed the incident and determined that the use of deadly force by the Reno Police Department officers was legally justified. No arrests were made in connection with Binga's death, as he was identified as the sole perpetrator of the preceding crimes.
