In what was supposed to be a day of celebration for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, it quickly turned into a tragic event. Sergeant Henry Prendes, a 37-year-old White male and a 14-year veteran of the force, was fatally shot on February 1, 2006, while responding to a domestic violence call.
The incident unfolded at a residence in southwest Las Vegas, where police had received multiple 911 calls about a man assaulting a woman with a stick and causing damage to vehicles and the house. Upon arrival, Sergeant Prendes and other officers located the female victim, her mother, and her brother. The suspect, however, had retreated inside the home. As Sergeant Prendes cautiously approached the front door, he was ambushed by the suspect, who opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.
Sergeant Prendes was struck by the gunfire and fell onto the sidewalk. The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Amir Rashid Crump, continued to fire approximately 50 rounds, pinning down the other officers and preventing them from reaching their fallen colleague. Crump, an aspiring rapper known as "Trajik," then moved to an upstairs window and continued to shoot at the officers below.
Despite the intense gunfire, a member of the Gang Unit who had responded to the call was able to position himself and return fire, ultimately shooting and killing Crump. This officer was wounded in the leg during the exchange. Tragically, Sergeant Prendes succumbed to his injuries at the scene, becoming the first Las Vegas police officer to be killed in the line of duty in 17 years. He is survived by his wife and two young daughters.
