By Adwoa Fosu
Las Vegas Sun
LAS VEGAS — Metro Police released body camera video today that shows a traffic stop for a broken taillight turn suddenly violent after the agitated driver pulls a gun, leaving an officer wounded on the ground and the gunman dead.
In the video, 54-year-old James Todora is stopped Friday by Officer Carlos Luna in the 5600 block of West Sahara Avenue, just west of Lindell Avenue, for driving a gold Jeep Grand Cherokee with a broken taillight.
Todora immediately gets out of the SUV and shouts at Luna to shoot him.
When Luna orders Todora to step back to his patrol car, Todora instead returns to the Jeep and sits down.
Luna then walks up and explains why he stopped the SUV.
At the same time, Officer Brian Kroening, conducting another traffic stop nearby, walks over to help, police say.
Luna continues to try to calm the situation with Todora, who is upset about an incident with police that took place the day before.
After telling Luna he has a rifle in the vehicle and threatening to kill himself, Todora suddenly grabs a Ruger 9mm handgun from under a blanket on the passenger seat and points it at Luna’s head, police say.
The gun makes a clicking noise but does not fire, and Luna scrambles to the back of the Jeep to take cover, police say.
Todora then fires a round from inside the car, striking Officer Evan Hogue, who had just arrived to help and stepped out of his patrol car, police say.
Kroening, who is standing at the passenger side of the Jeep, fires three rounds at Todora, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The video shows Hogue on the ground as Luna rushes to check on him. Hogue was taken to University Medical Center and treated for a graze to the neck, police said.
Copyright 2015 the Las Vegas Sun