Body Cam Footage Reveals Events Before Las Vegas Police Shooting

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Body camera footage released Wednesday shows the intense moments leading up to a North Las Vegas police officer shooting a man accused of hitting him with his vehicle at a gas station.

On Sunday, July 20, around 1:55 p.m., North Las Vegas police responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle occupied by two adults, three children and a dog parked at a gas pump at the Maverick gas station near East Tropical Parkway and Nicco Way. The initial report expressed concern that one or more of the adults were passed out and possibly under the influence, according to police.

When officers arrived, they approached a black Honda Accord and spoke to 31-year-old Auftan Green of Mesquite, who was standing outside of the driver’s side door. North Las Vegas Officer Joshua Vardoulis spoke with Green for several minutes before Green got back into the vehicle and attempted to drive away, police said.

The video showed Vardoulis attempting to stop Green and pull him out of the vehicle, however, Green sped away. As Green sped away, one of the children fell from the vehicle, sustaining a minor injury, according to police.

A second officer then ran to the child to bring her to safety, and the woman, identified as Kristal Leavitt of Mesquite, got out of the vehicle to go to the child. However, when Leavitt saw the officer attending to the child, she turned around and attempted to get back in the vehicle before officers stopped and detained her, police said.

Green once again drove away, and officers initially believed he left the parking lot. However, shortly after, he circled the parking lot and drove back toward the officers, Leavitt and the child at a high rate of speed, according to police.

Green nearly hit the second officer, who was standing near Leavitt and the child, before speeding toward Vardoulis, the video showed.

Vardoulis then fired five rounds, hitting the vehicle and Green in the torso. The vehicle continued forward, hitting Vardoulis in the leg before driving over a sidewalk, into the nearby road and onto the median on East Tropical Parkway.

Green suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a local hospital and was placed under arrest on abstention, police said.

Officers removed the remaining two children from the vehicle, and Leavitt and the three children were taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation. One of the children suffered a facial abrasion from falling from the moving vehicle, North Las Vegas police said.

Inside the vehicle, officers discovered heroin, methamphetamine, and a firearm. Neither Leavitt nor Green had custody of the children. Child protective services took custody of the three children and confirmed that the legal guardian was a maternal relative. It is unknown if the children have been reunited with the relative, North Las Vegas police told 8 News Now Wednesday.

Green and Leavitt both have extensive criminal histories involving drug offenses, assault, and weapon-related charges, police said.

North Las Vegas Animal Protective Services took custody of the dog that was in the vehicle, according to police.

Green was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges including two counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon and three counts of child abuse or neglect, with additional charges pending, records showed.

Leavitt was arrested and booked into the North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center on five counts of child abuse or neglect, records showed.