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Nov. 01, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Friend identifies man shot by police

By ANTONIO PLANAS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Raymond James Duensing
Libertarian has run for Congress three times

A friend and former colleague of a man shot by Las Vegas police after fleeing from an officer confirmed Saturday the wounded man is a local attorney who last year ran unsuccessfully for Congress on the Libertarian ticket.

The friend, a lawyer who did not want to be identified, last worked with Raymond James Duensing during the summer of 2007.

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    • He said he spoke by phone Saturday morning with Duensing, who was recovering from his injuries at University Medical Center.

    The friend said Duensing was being guarded in his hospital room by police and therefore was cautious about talking about the incident during their conversation.

    The friend said Duensing, known to acquaintances as Jim, had wounds on his back and arm after being shot three times.

    He added that he was surprised Duensing was shot by police Thursday afternoon after a routine traffic stop near Cheyenne Avenue and Jones Boulevard.

    "I've known Jim for years. He's not a nut. He's not the kind of guy who's going to flee from police."

    Police said the officer fired his weapon after Duensing was asked to get out of his Pontiac rental car because a records check indicated he had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest.

    Police said Duensing then fled and was unsuccessfully Tased and shot several times after he reached in his front pocket for a .45-caliber handgun. Police also said Duensing reached for a large folding knife.

    "He was Tased. He did tell me that," Duensing's friend said. "I think when the officer Tased him, it scared the crap out of him. I don't think he expected to be Tased over a traffic stop."

    The friend said Duensing didn't tell him if he had carried a weapon during the shooting. But he said Duensing does have a concealed weapons permit and also works at a gun range as a shooting instructor.

    Police said in a news release that Duensing is 31, but Clark County Detention Center records, where he was booked in absentia on a charge of resisting a public officer with a weapon, indicated he's 33.

    The friend said Duensing told him he was pulled over because he drove through an intersection in a right-turn-only lane.

    He said Duensing expects to be released from the hospital in two or three days and has obtained an attorney.

    Duensing unsuccessfully ran for Congress against Shelley Berkley, D-Nev, in 2008, 2006 and 2004, generally garnering 2 percent to 3 percent of the vote.

    Clark County Libertarian Party chairman Nathan Santucci said Duensing was the party's state chairman until earlier this year.

    "The Libertarian Party does not advocate fleeing from police as a means of peaceful conflict resolution," Santucci said. "Although he is a past officer of our party, he currently holds no official standing with our party as an elected officer. Our thoughts go out to him, his family and the officer involved in the incident."

    Metropolitan Police Department policy is to release the identity of an officer who fires a weapon in the line of duty within 48 hours. As of Saturday afternoon, the identity of the officer involved in the shooting hadn't been released. The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

    One witness to the incident questioned whether Duensing had a gun.

    Brandi Burks, 19, said she was standing outside her apartment complex on Cheyenne, west of Michael Way, when the shooting took place.

    Burks said motorcycle officers had been patrolling the street heavily on Thursday, pulling over speeders.

    Burks said a motorcycle officer stopped Duensing's car on the far right lane of eastbound Cheyenne, near Michael Way.

    The officer asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. Duensing stepped out and began running northwest across Cheyenne, Burks said. The officer told Duensing to stop, she said, but he kept running.

    As he was running, he kept grabbing his pants, as if to hold them up, Burks said. She did not see a gun.

    She saw the officer fire his gun at Duensing when he reached the sidewalk. He went down, and officers handcuffed him.

    Capt. Randy Montandon, who briefed the media at the scene after the Thursday shooting, said he saw Duensing's gun.

    According to Las Vegas police policy, police can use deadly force based on the severity of the crime, whether the suspect is a threat to the officer or others and whether the suspect is actively resisting arrest or attempting to avoid arrest by fleeing.

    Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.

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    tracy g wrote on November 01, 2009 09:43 PM: grr I should have done spell check on my last comment i was in a bit of a rush sorry guys


    tracy g wrote on November 01, 2009 09:42 PM: It apears that duensing is doing well he has posted his story on the Independent political report it is comment #73

    http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2009/10/former-nevada-lp-state-chair-shot-by-police-is-in-critical-condition/#comments


    Fair and Balanced Fred wrote on November 01, 2009 08:40 PM: "Vote for "Brandi"! wrote on November 01, 2009 05:51 PM: So is it safe to say the "real" (by that I mean "original") FAB Fred is you, who claims to be Fab Fred in your most recent post, and who otherwise goes by different screen names... A.)Thinks Metro officer used excessive force when he shot Duensing in the back... or, B.) Thinks Duensing is a complete wack-job who deserves what he got? Just curious, cause the other guy/gal seems to side with our friend, Brandi! Thanks for clearing that up, if you are really you!"

    Don't know. I wasn't there.


    Vote for "Brandi"! wrote on November 01, 2009 07:42 PM: Hey, Joe, I'm with you on all your points EXCEPT the part where you call my friend, Brandi, a "witness". She didn't see ANYTHING but she sure saw this creep "looking scared" and "trying to pull his pants up"! And the police had no use for her valuable information, so what does she do? She calls a reporter! And poor Antonio was naive enough to take her word as gospel and put her in the lead of his story...
    I maintain this Duensing will be confirmed as a dangerous lunatic, the officer will be justified in his use-of-force decision, and will be absolved
    of any wrong-doing (in fact congratulated for his valient efforts), and Brandi...
    Well let's just say she won't be a part of any Pulitzer Prize for Journalism! Still, she provided quite a bit of amusement the last few days!


    Joe C wrote on November 01, 2009 06:54 PM: To Sad,
    Obviously this person couldn’t get to his gun according to the witness but it didn’t even look like he could hold his pants ups, according to the witness.

    As the witness said, it looked like, and looks like and accurate are far apart.

    Again why is there no investigating reporting for facts, everything is assumption, and the witness is no help, except giving a criminal running from police an excuse as to why he was going to his pants.

    Hopefully gang members and criminals start getting the hint, we don’t like you, and hopefully people like myself are on the juries that convict you.

    Now I’m not convicting Mr. Duensing I’m just making assumptions from the info in the story, just like you and the witness. Evidence will convict this person and the story lacks anything creditable as evidence, all assumption from a point of view.

    It was like he was trying to hold his pants up could also be he’s going for his gun.
    Who knows perhaps before he took off running the cop had partially patted him down and knew he had a weapon.


    lasvegassweatheart wrote on November 01, 2009 06:04 PM: Another justified shooting by LVMPD finest! Wow Lawyer! This cop will have free lunches for a month!


    Vote for "Brandi"! wrote on November 01, 2009 05:51 PM: So is it safe to say the "real" (by that I mean "original") FAB Fred is you, who claims to be Fab Fred in your most recent post, and who otherwise goes by different screen names...

    A.)Thinks Metro officer used excessive force when he shot Duensing in the back... or,

    B.) Thinks Duensing is a complete wack-job who deserves what he got?

    Just curious, cause the other guy/gal seems to side with our friend, Brandi! Thanks for clearing that up, if you are really you!


    Fair and Balanced Fred wrote on November 01, 2009 05:28 PM: "Vote for "Brandi"! wrote on November 01, 2009 04:42 PM: So how am I supposed to know who the REAL FAB FRED is?"

    The idiot using the screen name I invented is never me. I use other screen names now.

    Really, is it that hard to think of a screen name?

    How about Cap'n Crunch?


    Vote for "Brandi"! wrote on November 01, 2009 05:10 PM: To "Sad": For someone who claims to be sad, you sure are funny!


    Sad wrote on November 01, 2009 05:07 PM: How in the hell can a man running FROM the police pull a gun out of his pocket as he is running from the police. The police are out of control, when will the Fed's step in to investigate the police department for the civil right violations. The police have killed so many people this year and in past years and the Fed's still have not opened an investigation on the police department. It seems that the police and the fed's are in bed with each other that they cover up for one another. The people should not be afraid of the criminals they should be afraid of police offers they appear to be the criminals. The witness was at the right place at the right time.


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