Police discuss stakeout that turned into gun battle between police, robbery suspect

There were a total of 26 rounds fired by Las Vegas police and a robbery suspect during a stakeout that turned into a gun battle, leaving the suspect hospitalized.

Matthew Glunt, 48, was struck several times, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Sheriff Yasenia Yatomi, who gave new detail on the police shooting during a Tuesday news briefing.

Detective Christopher Gowens, 45, and Officer Joshua Leach, 33, fired 21 rounds at Glunt who fired five rounds at police during the confrontation on Thursday, May 25.

Assistant Sheriff Yatomi said the police had been investigating a series of commercial robberies and had identified Glunt as a suspect and were on a stakeout around 11 p.m. in the 4000 block of W. Flamingo Road when they spotted him in a parking garage walking toward his vehicle. Yatomi said Glunt ignored officers’ commands.

“Glunt pointed his firearm at officers at the same time an officer deployed his taser, but it was ineffective. At that time, Glunt discharged his firearm toward officers. This action caused Detective Gowens and Officer Leach to discharge their firearms, striking Glunt several times,” Assistant Sheriff Yatomi said.

She said Glunt has several prior felony convictions including attempted robbery with the use of a deadly weapon (2019), conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act (2016), and trafficking a controlled substance (2013).

Glunt who remains hospitalized is now facing burglary (3 counts), robbery (3 counts), attempted murder of a police officer (3 counts), resisting a public officer with a firearm (1 count), a prohibited person with a firearm (1 count), carrying a concealed weapon without a permit (1 count).

Yatomi said this was the second officer-involved shooting of 2023, both have been non-fatal. Last year, at the same time, there were five officer-involved shootings, with three being fatal.