Investigators say the man used a stolen front loader on Water Street before officers opened fire.
HENDERSON, NV — A man driving a stolen construction front loader tried to run over Henderson police officers and rammed two patrol vehicles Sunday morning in the city’s Water Street district before officers shot him and took him into custody, authorities said.
Police said the confrontation unfolded during the first officer-involved shooting of 2026 in Henderson, drawing a large response to the 600 block of North Water Street near Boulder Highway. Capt. Haven Tillmon said officers were dispatched about 9:10 a.m. for a stolen-vehicle report and found a front loader from a nearby construction site. The incident left the driver wounded and two officers hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, underscoring the risks around heavy-equipment thefts and the close-quarters layout of the redeveloped downtown corridor.
According to Tillmon, patrol units arrived to find the front loader moving in the street. Officers attempted to stop the driver, who then steered toward them “numerous times,” the captain said. The machine rammed two marked units, lifting and wedging them under the loader’s bucket. At that point, two officers fired, striking the driver in the arm and leg. The man was taken into custody at the scene and transported to a local hospital for treatment. Witnesses described the loader scraping along a metal fence and flattening small trees near Taylor Street and Castanet Lane as police formed a perimeter. “We’re grateful our officers are okay,” Tillmon said, noting both injured officers were treated at hospitals.
Investigators said the front loader was taken from a residential apartment project under construction off Water Street. Police said it was not immediately clear how the suspect started and moved the heavy equipment. Detectives were collecting dashcam and body-worn camera footage and planned to interview crews from the job site about access to ignition systems and keys. Officials did not immediately release the suspect’s name, age, or medical condition beyond the gunshot wounds. The number of total shots fired by officers remained under review Sunday. Police closed portions of Water Street for several hours while crime-scene analysts documented damaged patrol vehicles and traced the path of the loader.
The Water Street district has seen extensive redevelopment in recent years, with mixed-use construction and regular weekend events drawing pedestrians and cyclists through the corridor. Heavy machines used for streetscape and infill projects are often staged behind temporary fencing, which can be breached when sites are inactive. Southern Nevada agencies have previously cautioned that construction thefts can escalate into public hazards when equipment is driven on open roads. Records show Henderson’s police have periodically handled slow-speed but high-risk encounters involving industrial vehicles, which can weigh several tons and challenge standard tactics for traffic stops.
Police said the department’s Critical Incident Review process is underway. That includes parallel criminal and administrative investigations, a review of body-worn camera video, and use-of-force evaluations consistent with department policy. Officials said a public briefing with video is expected next week, with date and time to be announced. As of Sunday evening, no charges had been announced against the driver; detectives were preparing arrest paperwork related to vehicle theft, assault with a deadly weapon, and property damage, pending prosecutorial review. The officers who fired their weapons were expected to be placed on standard paid administrative leave while the investigation proceeds.
By midafternoon, Water Street businesses reopened as tow trucks removed the damaged patrol cars. Construction workers who arrived to secure the job site said the loader’s cab windows were shattered. A cafe employee a block away said the commotion began with “an engine rev and metal scraping” before sirens echoed down the corridor. Residents watched from doorways as investigators measured gouges in asphalt near the fenced lot. “It’s a lot to see in the middle of a Sunday,” said Maria Alvarez, who lives nearby and walked past yellow tape to reach her apartment. “I’m just glad no one walking got hurt.”
Police said the scene was cleared before sunset and that the case remains active. The department indicated its next update would come at a planned briefing with body-camera footage sometime next week.
Author note: Last updated January 4, 2026.