‘He had the gun’: Witness who called police before officer fatally shot gives account

Sasha Rush is ambivalent astir her determination to telephone constabulary Tuesday aft seeing a masked antheral waving a weapon successful eastbound Las Vegas.

Metropolitan Police Department serviceman Austin Abdelnabi, 30, was killed by an equipped suspect adjacent the taxation mentation concern wherever she works connected Tropicana Avenue.

“Personally, I consciousness shitty that that bull died, due to the fact that if I wouldn’t person made that call, possibly helium would person inactive been alive,” Rush said, adding that had she not called, others could person been injured too.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Abdelnabi was ambushed. Police person said helium was changeable aft helium responded to a telephone astir a antheral with a weapon adjacent the 4500 artifact of East Tropicana Avenue.

Although the details match, constabulary person not confirmed the transportation betwixt Rush’s telephone and the officer’s death.

Rush said that astatine 3:55 p.m., her parent was extracurricular for a cigaret break.

Her parent saw a antheral transverse the thoroughfare from China Kitchen. He pointed a weapon astatine her and she rushed backmost into the office, Rush said.

She told Rush: “Hey, there’s a feline with a gun,” Rush said.

“Me and my relative got up and we looked retired our broadside window, which is connected the eastbound of the office, and we virtually seen him,” Rush said. “He had the gun, helium was waving it around, helium was wearing a skis disguise truthful you tin lone spot his eyes. He was wearing a achromatic hoodie, helium had a achromatic backpack on, achromatic shorts, achromatic socks and achromatic boots.”

The masked antheral did not travel into the concern wherever she works, but Rush said she called the constabulary astir 3:57 p.m., the clip McMahill said a caller reported idiosyncratic waving a gun.

She said the weapon was a tiny weapon but had go longer with immoderate benignant of extender.

At 4:01, an serviceman showed up to Rush’s office, she said. She told him wherever the antheral with the weapon was walking and showed the serviceman surveillance footage.

The serviceman past took disconnected down Merrill Avenue aft the suspect, she said. She did not witnesser the existent shooting.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.