Las Vegas police have revealed that they used non-lethal de-escalation tactics before fatally shooting a man who was wielding a knife. The incident occurred on Saturday, November 25, when a woman called 911 to report that her son, 51-year-old Robert Pitcher, was feeling suicidal and had left his home with a knife. Upon arrival, the officer did not find Pitcher but spoke with his mother and wife, who informed him that Pitcher’s son had recently passed away. They also revealed that Pitcher had stated he was going to be with his deceased son before taking a large kitchen knife and leaving the house.
When the officer spotted Pitcher in the area, he called for backup to de-escalate the situation. Two immediate actions teams were assembled, consisting of officers trained in de-escalation tactics and low-lethal options. Upon approaching Pitcher, he placed the knife to his throat and refused to drop it despite repeated requests from the officers. The officers then fired low-lethal bean bag rounds and deployed Tasers in an attempt to get Pitcher to drop the knife. However, Pitcher continued to approach the officers, who fired more low-lethal rounds before shooting him multiple times.
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The three officers involved in the incident were Philippe Dinh, Oscar Nuno-Reynoso, and Kyle Corso, all assigned to the East Community Policing Division, Southeast Area Command. Medical personnel were called to the scene and attempted life-saving measures, but Pitcher was pronounced dead.
Assistant Sheriff Sasha Larkin praised the officers’ restraint and humanity, noting that they undergo extensive crisis intervention training. Larkin emphasized that each use of force incident is thoroughly investigated, and officers must justify their actions.
In light of the incident, Larkin urged the community to seek help if they or someone they know is experiencing a mental or emotional crisis. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255, is available for assistance. This incident marks the third fatal officer-involved shooting for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 2023 and the seventh overall. In the same period of 2022, there had been 12 officer-involved shootings, seven of which were fatal.
