UPDATE, September 2020:
The Washoe County District Attorney's Office says an officer-involved shooting that happened in January 2019 was justified.
Officials said the shooting happened after a brief pursuit, which ended in 35-year-old Patrick Wootan crashing a stolen car. They said Wootan confronted an officer after fleeing on foot, and pointed a handgun at the officer while ignoring commands to drop his weapon. Officials say Wootan had an extensive criminal history and made statements prior to the shooting that he would not go back to prison.
Wootan pleaded guilty to one count of assault on an officer with a deadly weapon committed by a parolee, one count of possession of a stolen firearm and one count of possession of a stolen car.
The District Attorney's Office says this is the tenth, 11th and 12th felony conviction for this defendant. He was on parole at the time for a previous habitual criminal burglary conviction.
Officials said in October 2019, he was again sentenced as a habitual offender and given a life term in prison with the possibility of parole after ten years served.
Original Story, October 2019: The Washoe County District Attorney's Office says a Las Vegas man was adjudicated a habitual criminal and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after ten years served.
They said 34-year-old Patrick Wootan pleaded guilty in June to one count of assault on an officer with a deadly weapon committed by a parolee, one count of possession of a stolen firearm and one county of possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
The Attorney's Office says this is the tenth, 11th and 12th felony conviction for this defendant, who was on parole at the time of the incident for a previous habitual criminal burglary conviction.
They said the case began in January of this year when Wootan drew a stolen firearm containing a loaded magazine on a Reno Police Department officer, who was attempting to take him into custody after a car chase and foot pursuit.
The Attorney's Office says the officer previously saw Wootan traveling at a high rate of speed near Reno High School and tried to make a traffic stop. Wooten initially fled, but the officer was able to catch up with him and the shooting occurred.
They said it was later determined that the car Wootan was driving and the firearm he used had been stolen from two separate victims in a prior residential burglary.
The Attorney's Office says after the shooting, Wootan was taken to the hospital and treated before being booked into jail.
They said the officer was unharmed.
