More details released on Elko police shooting death

Officer Jake Eisinger was identified as the shooter during a press conference on Tuesday. Tabanico “Tommy” Pirtle, 24, of Elko was shot five times by Eisinger on Sunday during a domestic situation at 305 Juniper St. Pirtle had been living at the house for a short time, Reed said.

Per Reed’s request, the Nevada Department of Public Safety Investigation Division and forensic investigators from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office arrived Sunday and continue to process the scene.

“A lot of the comments or detail we have is ... a summary provided by them up to this point,” Reed said.

At 6:23 a.m. Sunday, a neighbor called dispatch about a verbal argument taking place outside of the house between Pirtle, his girlfriend and her friend. Eisinger was the first officer on scene and he arrived within three minutes of the call.

Pirtle and one of the women were reportedly struggling over a .223-caliber semi-automatic carbine rifle in the side yard of the house, which faces Third Street. Another woman was on the ground nearby. Police weren’t sure which woman was Pirtle’s girlfriend and which was her friend.

Pirtle gained control of the rifle as Eisinger exited his patrol vehicle. According to neighbor and witness statements, Eisinger yelled several times for Pirtle to drop the gun.

Pirtle reportedly ignored him, and turned away from the women. He began to walk south, but after taking a few steps, he started to turn back toward the officer while raising the rifle, according to investigators.

Fearing for the women’s safety as well as his own, Eisinger fired six rapid rounds at Pirtle using his .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, Reed said. He was about 30 feet away from Pirtle when he fired the gun.

Five of the bullets struck Pirtle in his right arm, right shoulder, lower back and lower abdomen, according to investigators. Reed said one of the rounds did not strike Pirtle and has not been located.

Pirtle fell to the ground after being shot, and Eisinger immediately secured the rifle, which was loaded. Police do not think Pirtle’s rifle was fired at any point.

“When there are weapons that are unsecured, we make them safe right away,” Reed said.

Eisinger then began administering first aid to Pirtle as other officers arrived. Officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived.

Pirtle was transported to Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital. He died at about 11:30 a.m. that day.

“It’s a sad incident. It’s a tragedy that it comes to that,” Reed said.

No other officers were involved in the shooting. Eisinger was placed on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.

“I’m thankful none of our personnel were injured. It’s a difficult situation for the officer to be in … to make a decision to use deadly force and to stop deadly force from potentially occurring based on the actions of Pirtle,” Reed said.

Background

According to investigators, Pirtle and some of his friends went to at least two nightclubs in downtown Elko the night before he was killed. He and the two women walked home at about 6 a.m., less than half an hour before the incident was reported. Police assume Pirtle had been drinking, but will not know until the toxicology report is completed.

After returning home, Pirtle allegedly began threatening suicide, which he had done in the past, according to police records. On Oct. 3, officers had contacted Pirtle because he was making suicidal threats.

On Sunday, he reportedly obtained the rifle from a roommate, who was sleeping at the time. Police believe the two women were trying to take the weapon away from him so he wouldn’t hurt himself or others when they began arguing and struggling outside.

Neighbors who were interviewed said there were frequent arguments and fights at the house before, but Sunday’s dispute was particularly heated. The three people involved were yelling, screaming and threatening each other for several minutes, according to police.

The Elko Police Department and the Elko County Sheriff’s Office had a number of prior contacts with Pirtle since 2012. Reed said his department had made contact with Pirtle six times over the course of two years, and the sheriff’s office had made contact with him seven times.

The types of incidents from both agencies included vehicle crashes, domestic batteries and fights. Reed said sometimes Pirtle was not arrested or the district attorney’s office did not file charges.

Elko Daily Free Press records indicate Pirtle was arrested once in 2012 for disturbing the peace and once on Oct. 2 — the day before he reportedly threatened suicide – for two counts duty to stop at an accident with attended vehicle and failure to report a vehicle accident.

“It’s unfortunate the rifle did not get dropped immediately, but his actions were stopped,” Reed said about the incident Sunday. “Had he not passed, he would have been charged with several crimes. … We never got that far. It ended within seconds.”

Pirtle was a member of the U.S. military, and he served honorably prior to 2012, Reed said.

Aftermath

While the Reno and Carson City agencies continue their investigation, the Elko Police Department is conducting its own administrative investigation into the incident.

While the process is not quite complete, Reed said it indicates department policy was followed and the use of force was consistent with the law regarding justifiable homicide by a public officer.

The Elko County District Attorney’s Office may request a review board on the incident, Reed said.

Reed said the sheriff’s office and local branch of Nevada Highway Patrol assisted the police department during the incident. He added officers have received a lot of support from the public, which he appreciates.

“The public support here in Elko has been tremendous,” Reed said.

Reed asked the two out-of-county agencies to come in and investigate. He believes having them here creates a sense of transparency, gives police a double-check and provides expertise for the investigation. The Elko Police Department would have been second-guessed if it had done the investigation, Reed said.

“It’s difficult and it’s taxing on our department,” Reed said. “... What we’ve strived for all along starting Sunday was transparency and openness.”

Eisinger has worked in the police department for three years. Prior to that, he worked as an officer for the Western Shoshone Department of Public Safety for two years.

Reed said in his experience law enforcement officers react differently after using deadly force to subdue someone. Some officers bounce back within a few days, while most need a couple of weeks before they return to work, he said. Others may never come back, Reed said.

“We need to give him some time. He needs time. He needs to process it. It’s a very heavy incident on human psychology, and everybody’s different,” Reed said.

The complete report from Nevada Department of Public Safety Investigation Division and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Science Division may take up to three months to be finished, Reed said. He added a large part of that time is taken up by waiting for autopsy and toxicology results, which typically take six to eight weeks to be completed.

“These kinds of things are large incidents,” Reed said. “They involve a lot of effort and a lot of people to investigate correctly. We can’t do it all ourselves. Thankfully, these don’t happen very often. Nobody wants to go through one. It’s difficult for the officers and the family of the individual involved.”

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Correction: The two women involved in the domestic dispute were Pirtle's girlfriend and one of her friends. A previous version of this article had incorrect information.