Utah man killed in standoff with West Wendover police

WEST WENDOVER, Nev. — A Utah man was shot by police Saturday after allegedly threatening both himself and officers with a knife.

James Robertson, 41, was killed during a standoff outside a Chevron gas station after officers chased him up and down Wendover Boulevard. The chase began when officers attempted to pull Robertson over for driving recklessly; after attempting to evade officers in his pickup truck, Robertson ultimately abandoned the vehicle and continued his flight on foot.

Video captured by an eyewitness shows Robertson, cornered at gunpoint by three West Wendover police officers, appearing to hold a knife to his own throat before turning it on the officers.

When Robertson turns his knife toward the officers and begins walking toward them, the video footage shows an officer firing five rapid shots and Robertson falling to the ground.

Robertson was treated at the scene, said Elko County Sheriff’s Lt. Kevin McKinney, but died from his injuries. No officers were injured in the incident.

“The mental status, motives and actions of the driver leading up to this incident are part of the ongoing investigation” by the Elko County Sheriff’s Office, said the West Wendover Police Department in a statement. According to McKinney, the officers involved are on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.

Robertson’s last-known address is in Francis, Summit County, Utah, McKinney said.