Before bullets flew in an exchange of gunfire between a suspect and a Metro Police officer, leaving the man dead and the officer wounded, Miguel Salas spent minutes sitting in the driver’s side of a pickup truck repeatedly asking why the policemen — who were investigating a stolen cellphone — wanted him out of the vehicle.
Officer Richard Nelson, 33, who was hit by a round that made its way through a gap in his bulletproof vest — in the armpit area — and dug into his chest and through his lower back, is OK and at home after being medically cleared, Clark County Assistant Sheriff Tom Roberts said Friday.
Nelson and his partner, who barely dodged injury, are “very lucky” to be alive, Roberts said.
Salas, 25, wasn’t as fortunate.
As he fired nine rounds, divided evenly between the officers who scattered in opposite directions, Nelson returned fire, pulling the trigger 10 times, pumping one bullet into Salas’ head.
Investigators originally thought Salas was hit in the shootout, but later took own his life, because from a distance, officers could see him breathing but couldn’t approach him due to him being armed and not complying with police commands.
So Salas sat gravely wounded and Metro — deeming the incident a barricade with an armed-and-dangerous suspect — dispatched SWAT. It wasn’t until officers approached alongside armored vehicles that they discovered he had died.
Roberts said Salas likely wouldn’t had survived the wound even if police had gotten to him earlier.
For the 15th time this year — the fifth in less than a month — the shooting was captured in the officers’ body-worn cameras. Those videos were exhibited publicly by Roberts for the first time on Friday.
The images depict what began as a routine call about stolen property quickly escalating to loud bangs and tense moments.
The aftermath also was recorded. “Shots fired; I’ve been hit. Shots fired, I’m hit,” Nelson tells dispatch as he coughs. He later expresses that he’s having trouble breathing, something obvious from the video’s audio.
An arriving sergeant rushes him to University Medical Center. “The decision by that sergeant was critical in helping him to ensure that Officer Nelson survived this incident,” Roberts said.
The buildup to the shooting began two days earlier.
The 911 caller on Tuesday had his vehicle broken into at a valley grocery store.
That person tracked his stolen phone through GPS technology to a pickup truck parked in front of 4185 Tompkins Ave., and he arrived at the scene and called 911 at 2:15 p.m.
Nelson and his partner arrived at 4:09 p.m. and found Salas sitting inside the truck, which was stolen nearby last month, Roberts said. At the time they didn’t know the vehicle and the license plates on it were stolen.
For the next six minutes, Nelson and his partner interacted with Salas, who was evasive and at least twice tried turning the car on.
Salas did not present an ID — which he said was somewhere inside the truck: “I swear to God, it’s right here” — and refused to step out.
“I’m asking you to step out, man,” Nelson says. “Just get out of the car.”
“Why, why, come on dude, I’m not doing anything wrong,” Salas says. “Why, why, what the hell.”
Police ask him to relax and sometime during the interaction, Nelson grabs on to Salas’ left arm and tries to open the door, but Salas shuts it.
“Why do you guys want me to get out,” Salas says.
“Because it’s safer for us,” responds one of the officers.
“Do you want to get (shocked)?” an officer asks.
In a sudden move soon after, Salas grabs a Glock 23 sitting next to his right leg and begins firing, first at the second officer, and then at Nelson, Roberts said.
Nelson’s partner was struck on his work belt, but wasn’t wounded, and didn’t realize it until hours later, Roberts said.
Not many details on Salas were released Friday. Roberts said investigators spoke to his family, who told them that he’d recently lost his job and had other unspecified problems. He’s been convicted in six Nevada cases ranging from drug possession to robbery, at least one being a felony, since had he survived, he would have faced two charges of carrying firearms illegally. Police found a second gun in the truck.
He would have also faced counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, Roberts said.
Investigators recovered the stolen phone inside the truck and returned it to its owner, who witnessed the shooting.
Roberts wouldn’t speculate on what may have led to Salas firing the gun, but said: “My guess is he pretty much knew that once the police dug into what he was going to do, they were going to end up arresting him, holding him accountable for the crimes that he did.”
The assistant sheriff also opined that he wished the officers would have pulled Salas out of the vehicle sooner.
Before the briefing commenced, Roberts began by praising all Metro officers.
“It’s been a tough month for us,” he said. “Every one of those (police shootings) has involved somebody or a suspect trying to harm us or harm our officers.”
“Despite that, our workforce is out there, day in and day out serving you and this community the way you expect us to,” he said. “Sometimes is pretty thankless and there’s not a lot of people that can do it.”
Once again, reporters asked Roberts what’s behind an increase of police shootings — Metro was involved in 12 total shootings last year, six between January and August.
It’s an issue the agency is looking into, Roberts said. Although there is no trend and they’re hard to predict, he mentioned a growing problem in Southern Nevada and nationwide — one being a rise in violent crime and the other the accessibility of guns “in our community and country.”
There are more guns being bought and stolen from homes, Roberts said.
Funke Akindele’s comedy film “Everybody Loves Jenifa” has shattered Nigerian box office records by earning ₦511 million within just 12 days of its release.
FilmOne, the film’s distributor, revealed that this remarkable achievement makes it both the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2024. It is also the fastest Nigerian movie to reach the ₦500 million milestone.
“History Made! Everybody Loves Jenifa smashes records with ₦511M at the box office, becoming 2024’s highest-grossing Nollywood title and the fastest to hit ₦500M in just 12 days! Don’t stop! Let’s smash the record books. Watch Everybody Loves Jenifa in cinemas near you,” the post said.
“Everybody Loves Jenifa” achieved unprecedented success by generating ₦206 million during its opening weekend. It established a new record for the highest-grossing opening weekend in Nollywood history.
The film demonstrated its immediate appeal by earning ₦87.8 million on its first day. This set another record for the highest single-day earnings in Nigerian cinema.
Funke Akindele masterfully reprised her beloved Jenifa character, delivering a performance that perfectly captured the character’s signature humour and charm.
The narrative follows Jenifa through an engaging storyline filled with personal growth, fame-related challenges, and comedic situations that resonated deeply with audiences across Nigerian theatres.
Akindele’s marketing strategy proved exceptionally effective. Moreso, she implemented comprehensive social media campaigns and made strategic appearances at various cinemas to connect with viewers.
Her promotional efforts transformed the film’s release into a cultural phenomenon that extended beyond traditional movie-watching.
The film features an impressive ensemble cast including Falz,Omotunde ‘Lolo’ Adebowale-David, Olayode Juliana, Chimezie Imo, Layi Wasabi, Bisola Aiyeola,Jackie Appiah, and Omowunmi Dada.
These actors collectively bring depth to this comedy-drama that successfully weaves together humorous moments, emotional depth, and surprising plot developments.
Tems, a global music sensation, has solidified her position as one of Africa’s most successful artists, with her album captivating millions of fans worldwide and garnering numerous prestigious awards.
In a recent testament to her talent, her debut album secured the second spot on Billboard’s list of the best R&B albums of 2025.
This remarkable achievement places Tems alongside renowned artists such as Chris Brown, PartyNextDoor, Muni Long, and Bryson Tiller.
Furthermore, Billboard has praised Tems’ music for transcending the boundaries of Afrobeats, resonating with audiences across the globe.
“The Nigerian star finds her footing in the global spotlight and stands firmly in her purpose on her dazzling debut album Born in the Wild.
“She opens up about surviving her mental wilderness and learning to thrive in it on the opening acoustic ballad that shares the album’s title.
“And on the mid-tempo standout “Burning,” Tems confronts the trappings of her newfound stardom but finds comfort in the collective struggle. As someone who’s studied Céline Dion, Destiny’s Child, and Mariah Carey and dreamt of making soul-stirring songs that send people into their feelings, Tems succeeded with aplomb.
“Born in the Wild became her highest-charting project on Top R&B Albums (reaching No. 5) and marked her career-first entry on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 56.
“And while Born in the Wild and “Love Me JeJe” earned Tems 2025 Grammy nominations for Best Global Music Album and Best African Music Performance, respectively, her best R&B song nod for “Burning” further reinforced the rich diversity of her music– and the notion that African artists like Tems cannot be bound to the catchall “Afrobeats” term, as their music has traveled well past the borders of the continent. – H.M.”
Tems’ debut album, “Born In The Wild,” received critical acclaim in the United States.
Indeed, the album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Global Album.
Additionally, her single “Burning” broke records by securing a nomination for Best R&B Song. Meanwhile, “Love Me Jeje” received a nomination for Best African Music Performance.
Adekunle Gold marks a significant milestone this December 2024 as he celebrates 10 years since releasing his breakthrough single ‘Sade.’
This debut track, which creatively reimagined One Direction’s ‘Story Of My Life,’ catapulted him into Nigeria’s mainstream music consciousness in December 2014.
The artist recently shared compelling details about his journey to stardom in an industry interview, particularly highlighting his unique path to signing with YBNL.
Before his musical breakthrough, Adekunle Gold cultivated a professional relationship with Olamide through his work as YBNL’s graphic designer, creating cover art for the label’s artists, including Lil Kesh and Viktor.
The pivotal moment in his career arrived when producer Pheelz discovered ‘Sade’ and advocated for Gold’s signing to Olamide, leading to a transformative partnership with YBNL.
Under the label’s guidance, Gold released his debut album, ‘Gold,’ which produced standout hits like ‘Orente’ and ‘Pick Up,’ earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.
AG Baby, as fans affectionately call him, has demonstrated remarkable artistic versatility throughout his decade-long career.
He began his journey by crafting a distinctive urban interpretation of folk and traditional Yoruba music, later evolving into a dynamic pop star with the release of ‘Afro-pop Vol 1.’ His musical portfolio now spans five albums, each showcasing his growth and artistic range.
The singer-songwriter has established himself as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished artists, earning recognition for his exceptional songwriting abilities and commanding stage presence.
His performances continue to captivate audiences across Africa, solidifying his position as a leading figure in the continent’s music scene.
Gold’s journey from a graphic designer to a celebrated musician exemplifies his artistic versatility and dedication to his craft, marking him as one of Africa’s most sought-after performers.