HENDERSON, NV — Henderson police have released body camera video from a deadly Oct. 3 standoff that ended with officers fatally shooting Ropati Tauiliili, 48, after he fired more than 130 rounds, according to police and FOX 5.
The confrontation started after a family member called 911 around 3:45 p.m. to report that Tauiliili had gone to a home, assaulted relatives and displayed a rifle. Officers who responded learned he had battered residents, pointed a gun at them and left.
Hours later, police were called back after reports of gunfire. Officers then found a woman with two gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital, treated and released.
Family members reported assault and gun threats before the shooting
According to the account police gave, the first call described a violent encounter inside the home. A family member said Tauiliili had “slapped the kids around” and pulled out “a big old rifle,” language later repeated in public coverage of the incident.
When officers arrived, they were told Tauiliili had battered people at the residence, aimed a gun at them and then left the scene. That sequence set off the larger response that unfolded later in the day.
Police also said they impounded roughly 80 spent rifle casings and a high-capacity drum magazine from the home. Those items suggested a heavy volume of gunfire connected to the earlier disturbance.
Recordings showed he said he planned to force police to kill him
Investigators said Tauiliili also texted his employer and later spoke with him during a recorded phone call. In those communications, he said he had harmed his family and intended to trigger a fatal shootout with law enforcement.
During the call, he said, “I’m gonna make them kill me.” Police cited that recording as part of the sequence leading up to the standoff. It showed the situation had escalated well beyond a domestic disturbance.
Those statements came before officers tracked him to a cemetery with help from a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department air unit. Air footage showed him firing his gun into the air as officers converged on the area.
Body camera footage captured officers clearing bystanders from the area
Video released by Henderson police shows officers moving quickly as gunfire rang out. The footage also shows officers escorting bystanders to safety while Tauiliili continued shooting.
Police said he fired for about an hour, sending rounds in multiple directions and at times pointing the weapon toward officers and other people nearby. By the end of the incident, investigators recovered 134 shell casings from the scene.
The footage underscores how long the confrontation lasted and how much danger it posed to anyone nearby. Officers remained on scene while the suspect kept firing, and the encounter drew in specialized tactical units as the situation continued.
SWAT officers opened fire after Tauiliili turned his weapon toward them
As SWAT and other tactical units arrived, they took cover near the suspect while the standoff continued. Police said Tauiliili then began firing at those officers.
At that point, two SWAT officers, Julian Diaz and Thomas Whitney, fired at the same time and struck him. Officers immediately rendered medical aid, but Tauiliili died at the scene.
No officers or bystanders were injured in the shooting, according to police. The department said the fatal force came after an extended exchange in which the suspect continued firing despite the growing law-enforcement presence.
Police identified the weapons and noted his prison history in Hawaii
Police said Tauiliili had a Beretta 9mm handgun and a Mossberg 5.56 rifle. The department described the rifle as an assault rifle in its public account of the incident.
Officials also said he had served about 15 years in prison tied to a 1997 killing in Hawaii. That background was included as police outlined the circumstances surrounding the standoff and the use of deadly force.
The release of the video adds a visual record to a case that already included witness reports, recorded statements and physical evidence from the scene. Police have not indicated any injuries beyond the woman who was shot earlier and later released from the hospital.
