Las Vegas Police Fatally Shoot Knife-Wielding Man, Robert Pitcher, After Attempting Non-Lethal Tactics

Accident – Death – Obituary News : LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — In a recent incident, Las Vegas police resorted to non-lethal de-escalation tactics before resorting to fatal force against a knife-wielding man. The incident occurred on Saturday, November 25, at approximately 2:55 a.m., when a distressed woman called 911 to report that her son, identified as 51-year-old Robert Pitcher, was feeling suicidal and had left his home in the 3900 block of Landsdown Place with a knife, according to Assistant Sheriff Sasha Larkin.

Upon arriving at the scene, the officer was unable to locate Pitcher and decided to speak with his mother and wife instead. They informed the officer that Pitcher’s son had passed away recently, and he had expressed his intention to join his son in the afterlife. Before leaving the house, Pitcher armed himself with a large kitchen knife.

As the officer departed from the residence, they spotted Pitcher in the vicinity and immediately called for backup in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. Two “immediate actions teams” were formed, comprising officers specially trained in de-escalation tactics, effective communication, and the use of non-lethal options. When the officers approached Pitcher, he held the knife to his throat and disregarded their repeated requests to drop it. In an attempt to subdue him, the officers fired low-lethal bean bag rounds, but Pitcher remained unresponsive. Tasers were then deployed twice, but Pitcher continued to advance towards the officers. The officers maintained their distance while firing additional non-lethal rounds. However, Pitcher persisted in his approach, prompting the officers to fire multiple rounds, which ultimately proved fatal.

The three officers involved in the incident were identified as Philippe Dinh, 29, Oscar Nuno-Reynoso, 22, and Kyle Corso, 34. All three officers are assigned to the East Community Policing Division’s Southeast Area Command. A total of 17 rounds were fired by the officers in their efforts to neutralize the threat.

Medical personnel arrived at the scene promptly and attempted life-saving measures before pronouncing Pitcher dead.

Had Pitcher survived, he would have faced charges of three counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon on a protected person, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person, and one count of resisting arrest while armed.

Assistant Sheriff Larkin commended the officers for their restraint and empathy in dealing with the situation, highlighting their extensive crisis intervention training, which assists them in effectively communicating with individuals experiencing mental or emotional crises.

In line with department protocols, the incident will be thoroughly investigated to justify the officers’ use of force. Each officer will be required to explain their use of deadly force and account for each round discharged.

As the holiday season approaches, Assistant Sheriff Larkin urged the community to reach out for help if they or someone they know is grappling with mental or emotional distress. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline can be contacted at 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255. Alternatively, individuals can dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

This marks the third fatal officer-involved shooting for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) in 2023 and the seventh overall. By comparison, at the same time in 2022, there had been 12 officer-involved shootings, seven of which were fatal.

For a comprehensive list of local and national mental health resources, please click here..