Nevada authorities have released a chilling video that shows a violent suspect involved in multiple carjacking attempts, crashes and a shootout with officers in Las Vegas.
The dangerous police chase began on the evening of Aug. 11 when investigators were conducting aerial surveillance of a suspect wanted for a carjacking back in May.
As investigators were watching from the police chopper, the suspect carjacked another victim.
In the footage, the suspect can be seen driving up to another driver in a Chevrolet Avalanche, climbing in through the window and driving off, with the victim jumping out on foot.
At various points, the suspect is seen opening fire out of his window at pursuing officers. At some point, he is seen driving the wrong way on major streets and trying to carjack additional cars. According to police, the suspect hit speeds up to 100 mph. He also attempted to run down officers on foot, prompting them to fire at him.
At one point, officers pulled up next to the suspect’s car to attempt a pursuit intervention technique. However, the suspect fires two rounds from his window at the police vehicle. The officers swiftly return fire and back off from the pursuit. The bullets struck the suspect’s vehicle but not him.
The chase eventually ended after the suspect intentionally collided head-on with a police K9 vehicle at 67 mph, investigators say. The suspect’s vehicle was disabled as a result of the head-on collision and officers were able to take him into custody. Police recovered a handgun inside the wrecked vehicle.
The officer in that K9 vehicle was taken to the hospital in stable condition and the police dog named Boris was not injured, abc7 reported.
Authorities identified the suspect as 40-year-old Justin Venegas. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment before being released into police custody.
During the chase, Venegas fired four rounds in total, two at the pursuing officers and two at a victim he attempted to carjack. Police officers fired more than three dozen rounds but Venegas was not struck. Several officers suffered minor injuries from crashes.
Currently, Venegas is facing multiple charges including attempted murder, attempted robbery and felony evading. In addition, he is also facing robbery and assault charges for the May carjacking incident that triggered the investigation.