The assailant who refused to drop a knife as he charged at a Valley of Fire State Park ranger last week died after being shot by the Nevada ranger who feared for his safety, according to new details.
Valley of Fire State Park, pictured above. An armed man was shot dead by a Nevada ranger there. (Image: Pink Adventure Tours)
Rafael Rodriguez-Aguayo, 38, of Las Vegas, was wounded by the unnamed ranger following a July 10 traffic stop that escalated into an armed confrontation, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.
Rodriguez-Aguayo suffered several gunshot wounds, according to an autopsy released by the Clark County coroner’s office. The autopsy also revealed there “sharp force injuries of (the) neck.” It appears they were self-inflicted by the man’s knife, according to Las Vegas TV station KTNV.
The death was ruled a homicide.
Ranger Acted Properly
Our park ranger was presented with a life-threatening situation and responded to the threat in a manner consistent with the agency’s policy, training, and established Nevada law,” Nevada Division of State Parks Administrator Robert “Bob” Mergell said in a statement quoted by local news media.
The Nevada Department of Public Safety (NPS) this week continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly confrontation.
It appeared Rodriguez-Aguayo first drove into the state park at 10:05 a.m. on July 10. At noon, the park ranger pulled him over in a traffic stop.
Soon, Rodriguez-Aguayo left his Toyota sedan and the ranger left his vehicle, too.
The ranger ordered the man to stop and apparently told him to drop the kitchen knife.
But for some reason, Rodriguez-Aguayo continued to lunge at the ranger, according to details from the NPS. The ranger even tried to back away from the assailant, but Rodriguez-Aguayo continued to charge and the ranger fired his handgun.
Within minutes, at 12:34 p.m., EMTs arrived and attempted to save the wounded man. But by 12:53 p.m., Rodriguez-Aguayo died while still at the park.
The investigation led the park to close for two days between July 10 and 12.
Suicide Notes
As police and park rangers investigated the incident, they found apparent suicide notes in the Toyota. There also were traces of blood on the kitchen knife, and blood inside the Toyota, according to the NPS investigation.
No one else was ever in the Toyota besides the assailant.
As of Thursday, it was unclear why the ranger initially chose to pull the Toyota over.
It was also unclear if authorities believe the assailant wanted to get shot by the ranger despite the multiple warnings.
Rodriguez-Aguayo’s death was the first ever deadly shooting by a Nevada park ranger.
In a statement, Mergell added that, “As administrator, I would like to recognize our park rangers for their brave and professional response. Our park rangers consistently train for these situations. This is the first instance with this outcome, however, that has put this training to the test.”
I would also like to commend the Valley of Fire staff for their extraordinary teamwork and decision-making, under circumstances no one ever wants to face. My condolences go out to everyone involved, including the family of the deceased.”
The park is located in Moapa Valley, Nev., some 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas and features some 40,000 acres of red Aztec sandstone.
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