Metro officer involved in shooting in Boulder City

Dozens of law enforcement officers responded Friday, Jan. 24, to the 700 block of Sixth Street following a reported shooting.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, at 9:43 a.m. they received a call from the Boulder City Police Department requesting assistance.

The shooting involved an off-duty LVMPD officer who lives in Boulder City. The officer was not injured but a man, who was not identified at that time, was shot and killed by the officer and the officer’s wife.

“The officer-duty officer and his wife were inside their residence when they heard a commotion coming from the backyard of a neighbor’s residence,” LVMPD Capt. Kurt McKenzie said during a press briefing four hours following the incident. “The off-duty officer went outside and observed a male mounted on top of a female, punching and strangling her at the same time.”

McKenzie said the officer told his wife to call police, which she did.

“The off-duty officer went in the backyard and intervened, separating the male and the female,” McKenzie said. “The off-duty officer was able to remove the female from the backyard and handed her off to his wife in the front of their yard.”

The man then followed the officer into the front yard.

“The off-duty officer gave numerous commands to the male to stop and not come any closer ‘or we will shoot,’” McKenzie said in regard to what the officer said. “At which time, the male continued to advance on them, causing the off-duty officer and his wife to shoot the subject, striking him. He was later pronounced deceased in the front yard.”

One resident of the street, who asked that her name not be used, said she was in her bedroom when she heard a male “yelling and screaming.”

“Because of living close to the high school, I hear things like that quite often,” she told the Review. “Normally, it’s just teenagers messing around. This time it sounded a little different though. I got up to look out my window and couldn’t see much. That’s when I decided to get my phone to call police because it didn’t sound right. Moments later I heard two gunshots and the sound of police sirens following moments later. A little while later I went outside to see what was going on. I didn’t go out sooner in case it was an unsafe situation. That’s when I heard a woman sobbing.”

LVMPD is handling the investigation. Over the weekend, they released the name of the officer involved. He is 48-year-old Cesar Ibarra, who has been with Metro since 2005 and is currently assigned to the Homeland Security Division, Airport Bureau. He has been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of this incident.

Assistant sheriff gives update

Tuesday, LVMPD had a follow-up briefing about the incident, with some additional details than what were provided on the day of the shooting. According to Asst. Sheriff Jamie Prosser, the man who was shot and killed has been identified as 45-year-old Jeremiah Boshard. Prosser said that had Boshard survived, he would have faced one count of attempted murder and one count of battery on a protected person.

Prosser updated the original call that came into 911 as being at 9:16 a.m. Boulder City officers arrived at the scene and rendered first-aid to Boshard. Medical personnel were called but he was later pronounced deceased.

Prosser played security footage from the house next door. While it did not show the altercation, a woman and man could be heard yelling.

“Ibarra observed Boshard body slam the victim onto the ground, get on top of her and began to strike her on her face,” Prosser said. “The victim suffered multiple lacerations to her head, swelling to her face, cut and bruised lips as well as strangulation marks around her neck.”

As stated on that day, Ibarra was able to pull Boshard from the woman. Prosser said Boshard followed Ibarra and the two engaged in a physical altercation.

“Boshard slammed Officer Ibarra’s head into a vehicle in the driveway,” she said. “Ibarra’s wife observed the altercation and saw that her husband was getting struck multiple times. At one point, Boshard was able to encircle his arm around Ibarra’s neck, prompting his wife to retrieve a firearm.”

Ibarra was able to separate himself from Boshard and drew his own firearm.

“He identified himself as a police officer and provided several verbal commands for him to get on the ground and back away,” Prosser said. “Despite those commands, Boshard moved forward toward the victim (who was sitting in a chair outside the Ibarras’ home), causing Officer Ibarra and his wife to discharge their weapons, striking Boshard.”

Prosser said the female victim has been released from the hospital. She also identified Boshard and the victim as acquaintances.

“I will tell you that by her own statement, and the witnesses on scene, that she truly believed that Boshard was going to kill her if someone did not intervene that day,” Prosser added.