Police shoot man at Las Vegas airport

LAS VEGAS - Police shot and wounded a man at the city's international airport Tuesday after he grabbed a 3-year-old boy at knifepoint and ran through a security area, authorities said.

The child was unharmed and returned to his mother, who was at the airport, said Elaine Sanchez, spokeswoman for McCarran International Airport. The man was taken to a hospital.

"The system worked," Sanchez said. "As soon as the breach occurred, the police were in place and the system worked."

After the 25-year-old man grabbed the boy, he ran through an exit lane intended for passengers leaving the gates, officials said.

Three officers confronted him at the other side of the checkpoint, police said. One used a Taser gun to stun the man, police said.

He dropped the child and charged at the officers, said police spokesman Jose Montoya. Two officers each fired once.

The checkpoint was shut down for about 10 minutes, but there were no delays or interruptions of service at the airport, one of the nation's busiest, Sanchez said.

Associated Press