RENO, Nev. – A campus police officer shot a knife-wielding student at a Nevada high school on Wednesday during a confrontation witnessed by dozens of other students, Reno police said.
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The 14-year-old boy was reported in critical condition Wednesday night at a Reno hospital, Police Chief Jason Soto said.
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Police had declined to confirm reports immediately after the 11:30 a.m. shooting that the teen had been armed with a knife.
But Soto told reporters at a news conference at police headquarters Wednesday night that he was “armed with at least one knife and threatening other students” during a fight at the high school in a working class neighbourhood on the city’s north side.
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The armed student failed to comply with the school police officer’s verbal commands to drop the knife, and the officer ultimately fired his service weapon, “striking the student and…stopping the threat,” Soto said.
“Once the threat was stopped, the officer immediately began to provide medical aid to the student until emergency medical assistance arrived,” Soto said. He refused to take any questions.
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