SPARKS, NV — Police in Sparks have confirmed an officer-involved shooting after a traffic stop that quickly escalated into a crash, a foot chase and an arrest Tuesday morning. The stop began in the 2000 block of Kleppe Lane, where officers tried to pull over a vehicle tied to a suspect wanted on a felony battery-with-a-deadly-weapon charge.
Authorities said the driver fled instead of stopping, nearly hitting a Sparks police officer in the process. A witness reported hearing several shots during the encounter. The suspect later drove into a Reno Police Department patrol vehicle before leaving the car and trying to run on foot.
Traffic stop on Kleppe Lane led to the first moments of the chase
Sparks police said officers initiated the stop around 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 15 in the 2000 block of Kleppe Lane. The vehicle was being driven by a person wanted on a felony charge of battery with a deadly weapon, according to authorities.
When officers tried to stop the car, the driver fled the scene. Police said the vehicle nearly struck a Sparks police officer as it left the area, turning what began as a traffic stop into a fast-moving pursuit. The department has not said what prompted the original felony case beyond the battery-with-a-deadly-weapon warrant or charge.
Shots were fired before the suspect vehicle hit a Reno patrol car
During the escape, an officer-involved shooting occurred, police said. A witness in the area reported hearing several shots, adding another layer of urgency to an already chaotic scene.
The suspect kept driving after the shooting and later struck a Reno Police Department patrol vehicle. One Reno officer was injured in that collision and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Officials said that officer was in stable condition.
Police have not said how many rounds were fired or whether the suspect was struck during the exchange. The person driving the vehicle was later hospitalized with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The driver bailed out near Victorian Avenue and McCarran Boulevard
As the vehicle reached the area of Victorian Avenue and McCarran Boulevard, the suspect got out and tried to escape on foot. Officials said the unoccupied vehicle then kept rolling and eventually crashed on its own.
The suspect was taken into custody at the scene. Authorities have not released the person’s name. They also have not said whether any weapons were recovered or whether the foot chase covered more than one block before the arrest was made.
No additional injuries have been reported beyond the Reno officer and the suspect. Police said there are no known threats to the public.
Washoe County sheriff's investigators are handling the review
The Regional Officer-Involved Shooting Protocol was activated after the incident. That means the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation, with help from Reno police.
Once the investigation is finished, it will be sent to the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office for review. Officials said the case remains active and ongoing, and investigators have not announced a timeline for the next steps.
Police are asking anyone who saw the incident or has information to contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division at (775) 328-3320 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900, and to reference case number WC26-5137.
Road closures remain in place near the crash scene
The incident also forced traffic disruptions in Sparks. Southbound McCarran Boulevard at Nichols Boulevard and westbound Victorian Avenue at McCarran Boulevard were closed until further notice.
Those closures were still in place while investigators worked the scene and gathered details about the shooting and the crash. Police said the investigation is developing, and they have not said when the roads might reopen.
For now, authorities are treating the area as an active scene while they sort out the sequence of events that began with a traffic stop and ended with a suspect in custody, an injured officer and a damaged patrol vehicle.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
