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by TRICIA MANNING- SMITH / KING 5 News and Associated Press
NWCN.com
Posted on November 22, 2009 at 2:51 PM
Updated Monday, Nov 23 at 7:46 AM
Related:
•Two to face death penalty in slaying of Vegas cop from NW
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. - An off-duty Las Vegas police officer killed in a shootout with intruders in his own garage grew up in Yakima, where he graduated in 1997 from Davis High.
Trevor Nettleton was killed just after midnight Thursday.
"He was standing in the garage with the garage door open when he was attacked by multiple suspects," said North Las Vegas police Officer Chrissie Coon. "It looks like it was an attempted robbery. There was an exchange of gunfire."
Nettleton, 30, was married with a 2-year-old son and 2-month-old daughter and had been with Las Vegas police three years, police said.
Nettleton's family was in the house during the shooting, including his mother, who was visiting for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Speaking with KING 5 News, Nettleton's stepfather, Peter Austern, who lives in Tacoma, said Trevor was working in the garage, making a toy for his son, when the shooting occurred.
Austern said Trevor was shot in the chest, and managed to make it inside the house, where his mother was just coming out of the guest room.
"She had no idea what was going on," he said. "She put him in her lap ... he died in her arms," said Austern.
Trevor's brother, Ryan, just returned home to Tacoma, on emergency leave from his post in Iraq.
He said since their parents were both Washington State Troopers, both he and his brother dreamed about becoming police officers from an early age.
"He wanted to be a cop so bad when we were kids, and I wanted to be one, too," he said. "So we decided the best way to pursue that goal was to become military service members."
Trevor was a 10-year Marine Corps vet who served in the Bush White House.
Police said plans were being made for a funeral with full departmental honors.
Ryan Nettleton is now on emergency leave from Iraq, home in Tacoma before traveling to Las Vegas for services.
"I'm going to say goodbye to my brother, I'm more worried about my mother. It's bad enough when a parent outlives a child, but to have your child die in your arms from a murder. I can't imagine.," he said.
"Can you imagine anything more horrific than this?" said Austern.
The family has set up an account at Wells Fargo Bank, called the Ryan Nettleton Relief Fund.
Three people have been arrested in the case. Saul Williams Jr., 20, was booked in a North Las Vegas jail on multiple charges, including murder with a deadly weapon, authorities said. Prentice Marshall, 18, was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and will be booked in jail once he is released from the hospital. A 17-year-old, who name was not released because he's a minor, was booked on the same charges and held at the juvenile detention center.
I hope no one man handled these poor kids when they were arrested for killing this worthless cop who was just in his garage minding his own business,and died protecting his family.I mean these enterprising young men were just trying to make a living,right?These guys are eating your tax dollars while the officers kids go to sleep at night without a father
I beleive there are ALOT more good people in blue protecting us than bad any day.
