Neighbors’ reactions to a break-in that led to a shootout with police in the central Las Vegas Valley

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Neighbors shared their dismay Friday after the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released details of the moments before officers shot and killed a burglary suspect in the Central Valley.

“I heard gunshots,” said Ernesto Garcia. “And I just thought: What the hell was that?”

Garcia spoke to 8 News Now about what he saw when the break-in led to a police shooting in his neighborhood on Tuesday.

“I just came out and saw all the police here,” Garcia recalled.

Garcia’s street near Lake Mead Boulevard and Rancho Drive was cordoned off with crime scene tape Tuesday after police said Matthew Tindall broke into two homes armed with an 8-inch kitchen knife and attempted to stab three people.

Metro Police released body camera footage on Friday showing police saying they confronted Tindall.

Officers told 8 News Now that Tindall had the knife, dropped it and then tried to pick it up when officers fired five shots and shot him.

“These incidents are constantly evolving,” LVMPD Deputy Sheriff Yasenia Yatomi said during a press conference. “And so dynamic.”

Deputy Sheriff Yatomi and LVMPD Assistant Chief Dori Koren spoke about this and several other responses last week, praising their officers’ quick actions.

“In the past week alone, we’ve had a really high number of critical incidents,” said Deputy Chief Koren. “And our officers are out there, as our sheriff said, in 100-degree heat, working to keep our community safe.”

Meanwhile, Garcia said he was glad the situation wasn’t worse on Tuesday, but he would think differently in the future.

“We have to be careful,” Garcia said. “You never know who might try to hurt you.”

He told 8 News Now that his priority was the safety of his family.

“It’s pretty dangerous out here now,” Garcia concluded.

Tindall survived the shooting and is now in the Clark County Detention Center.

He faces several charges, including three counts of attempted murder with an aggravated offense of use of a deadly weapon, two counts of burglary with a deadly weapon and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.

Tindall is due to appear in court on July 1.

According to police, no officers were injured in the altercation. One victim suffered a cut on his hand but is expected to recover.