A Brief Exchange of Gunfire and Manners

At an hour when most decent trouble is asleep, a man in Las Vegas found himself in a spirited disagreement with a police officer near West Harmon and Arville. The officer, wishing only for a small courtesy, namely, that the fellow stand and not move, was met instead with what officials delicately call “uncooperative” behavior, which is a polite way of saying the evening had taken a turn.

The man declined further participation in the program, produced a firearm, and introduced a new argument. The officer replied in the plain language of a “volley of fire,” which is as persuasive as it is final. The suspect fled, as men often do after making poor decisions, and was soon joined in debate by additional officers, who contributed another volley for emphasis.

Though struck, the man continued his retreat until he was collected in a nearby parking lot, perhaps reconsidering his earlier choices. Taken to a hospital with injuries that, while unpleasant, are not expected to conclude his story.

No harm came to officers, which is a relief, and this episode marks the fifth such exchange of bullets and opinions this year. One might observe that in Las Vegas, fortunes turn quickly, though not always at the gaming tables.