Dramatic footage shows man shouting atop car before NLV police fatally shoot him – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)
North Las Vegas – Police have released body camera video and photographs from the April 29 shooting that left 31-year-old Khalil Normi Jamal Smith dead, marking the department’s first fatal officer-involved shooting of the year. The footage captures the moments after a crash at East Gowan Road and North 5th Street, where officers encountered a man they described as acting erratically and armed with scissors.
Crash and Initial Confrontation
The incident began just after 4:30 p.m. when Smith was involved in a vehicle crash. Officers arrived to find him standing on the roof of a car, shouting and behaving in a threatening manner, according to the North Las Vegas Police Department. Bodycam recordings show officers issuing repeated commands for Smith to come down and drop the scissors he was holding. He did not comply. Instead, the video depicts him climbing down and then charging directly toward one of the officers.
Release of Evidence and Public Update
On May 7, the department shared the bodycam clips along with still photographs as part of its standard critical-incident review process. The material provides a clearer sequence than earlier witness accounts or bystander video. Investigators noted that Smith ignored multiple verbal warnings before advancing. Officers fired their weapons, striking him. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he later died from multiple gunshot wounds. The Clark County coroner’s office ruled the death a homicide.
Potential Charges and Department Context
Had Smith survived, police said he would have faced two counts of attempted murder, battery on a protected person, and resisting arrest. The department emphasized that the scissors were recovered at the scene and treated as a weapon during the confrontation. This remains the only deadly force incident involving North Las Vegas officers so far in 2026. The agency continues to review the shooting under its standard use-of-force protocols while the footage circulates publicly.
- Date and time: April 29, just after 4:30 p.m.
- Location: East Gowan Road and North 5th Street
- Armed with: Scissors
- Outcome: Smith died at UMC; manner ruled homicide
The newly released video adds visual clarity to an event that had already drawn local attention through earlier news reports. Officials have not announced a timeline for the completion of the internal review.
