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Suspects considered fighting to the death
Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | Wednesday, February 23, 2005 | BRIAN HAYNES
Kentro Taylor and April Jones had tried to get away.
He sped through red lights while she shot at pursuing patrol cars, police said.
When the high-speed pursuit finally came to an end Friday afternoon and the fugitive couple had nowhere left to run, they looked at the police closing in and contemplated fighting to the death.
"At the very end, I wanted to fight it out," Jones said Tuesday from the Clark County Detention Center. "I still had the gun. I still had my finger on the trigger. I was talking to Kentro, and he said, `No,' so I didn't do it. I should have did it, but I didn't."
Now the 21-year-old from Baton Rouge, La., sits in jail facing eight counts of attempted murder of a police officer, conspiracy to commit murder and aiming a gun at an officer.
Taylor, her 31-year-old boyfriend and wheelman, faces similar charges in Las Vegas, and murder and attempted murder charges in his home state of Louisiana.
Both were scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court this morning.
In a brief interview at the Clark County Detention Center, Taylor said he wants to return home and face those charges, even if that means death by lethal injection.
"I'd rather be dead than be in jail," he said.
Police said Taylor and Jones led authorities on a daring high-speed chase through Las Vegas Friday. While Taylor maneuvered his green Honda Civic through traffic, Jones leaned out the window with an assault rifle, peppering the pursuing police cars with bullets, police said.
Despite the barrage, no one was hurt.
"I was surprised I didn't hit anybody," said Jones, who giggled and smiled throughout the 15-minute interview. "I was very disappointed I didn't shoot anybody."
Police in Baton Rouge had been searching for Taylor last week after they charged him in connection with a drug-related slaying.
According to the arrest warrant, four men kidnapped a 26-year-old man in September, committed several home invasion robberies for drugs and cash, then beat the victim and left him in his truck before setting it on fire.
Taylor and Jones had been in Las Vegas for about a week when local police were tipped off that Taylor might be in town.
Acting on the tip, two Las Vegas police detectives staked out a home near Lamb and Las Vegas boulevards Friday afternoon. The home belongs to Beverly Duncan, the mother of Taylor's pregnant ex-girlfriend.
Taylor and his ex-girlfriend met several years ago when she lived in Baton Rouge, the mother said.
Taylor said he was in Las Vegas to see the birth of his daughter.
During the stake out, the detectives saw Taylor, Jones and the pregnant ex-girlfriend get into the green Honda Civic and drive away. The detectives trailed the car and called for a marked patrol unit to pull the vehicle over so police could make the arrest, the arrest report said.
At first, Jones thought the stop was for a traffic violation, but when the police cars kept coming, she knew it was something more, she said.
"I was like ... `Just go,' " she said.
Taylor hit the gas and sped away, the report said.
The Honda raced into North Las Vegas with numerous police cars in pursuit. The car stopped briefly outside an apartment complex, and Taylor's pregnant ex-girlfriend jumped out, police said.
Jones said the 21-year-old was panicking, and Jones didn't want her in harm's way, either. Jones said she then climbed into the front seat.
Taylor had the gun and was preparing to shoot when Jones asked for the weapon, she said.
"They pulled up behind us with their guns ... so we pulled out our guns," Jones said.
The couple had brought the assault rifle with them from Baton Rouge, she said.
Police said the weapon, a fully automatic DPMS Panther AR-15, had been reported stolen in Louisiana. The .223-caliber gun had a 100-round drum magazine and was marked for government or law enforcement use only, police said.
As the Honda sped through red lights, Jones leaned out the window several times and fired at the pursuing police cars, police said.
Officers reported gunfire at Carey Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard; Lake Mead Boulevard and Interstate 15; Las Vegas Boulevard North and Tonopah Avenue; Main Street near Washington Avenue; Bonanza Road and Main; and Martin Luther King near the Spaghetti Bowl, according to the arrest report.
After 15 minutes, the pursuit ended at Bonanza and Martin Luther King when the Honda got tangled in traffic and rear-ended a pickup.
As police officers closed in, Taylor and Jones talked of ending it all, the report said.
"Jones stated she and Taylor discussed committing suicide by coming out of the vehicle in a threatening manner and shooting at officers hoping they would shoot back and kill both Jones and Taylor," the report said.
But Taylor wouldn't do it, and both were arrested, the report said.
Taylor didn't surrender until he received several zaps from police Taser guns, police said.
Police said they found the rifle on Jones' lap with 50 rounds left in the magazine.
Jones said Tuesday that her only regret was not putting up a fight.
"If I did, I'd probably be in dead," Jones said. "But it's better than being in jail."
Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | Wednesday, February 23, 2005 | BRIAN HAYNES
Kentro Taylor and April Jones had tried to get away.
He sped through red lights while she shot at pursuing patrol cars, police said.
When the high-speed pursuit finally came to an end Friday afternoon and the fugitive couple had nowhere left to run, they looked at the police closing in and contemplated fighting to the death.
"At the very end, I wanted to fight it out," Jones said Tuesday from the Clark County Detention Center. "I still had the gun. I still had my finger on the trigger. I was talking to Kentro, and he said, `No,' so I didn't do it. I should have did it, but I didn't."
Now the 21-year-old from Baton Rouge, La., sits in jail facing eight counts of attempted murder of a police officer, conspiracy to commit murder and aiming a gun at an officer.
Taylor, her 31-year-old boyfriend and wheelman, faces similar charges in Las Vegas, and murder and attempted murder charges in his home state of Louisiana.
Both were scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court this morning.
In a brief interview at the Clark County Detention Center, Taylor said he wants to return home and face those charges, even if that means death by lethal injection.
"I'd rather be dead than be in jail," he said.
Police said Taylor and Jones led authorities on a daring high-speed chase through Las Vegas Friday. While Taylor maneuvered his green Honda Civic through traffic, Jones leaned out the window with an assault rifle, peppering the pursuing police cars with bullets, police said.
Despite the barrage, no one was hurt.
"I was surprised I didn't hit anybody," said Jones, who giggled and smiled throughout the 15-minute interview. "I was very disappointed I didn't shoot anybody."
Police in Baton Rouge had been searching for Taylor last week after they charged him in connection with a drug-related slaying.
According to the arrest warrant, four men kidnapped a 26-year-old man in September, committed several home invasion robberies for drugs and cash, then beat the victim and left him in his truck before setting it on fire.
Taylor and Jones had been in Las Vegas for about a week when local police were tipped off that Taylor might be in town.
Acting on the tip, two Las Vegas police detectives staked out a home near Lamb and Las Vegas boulevards Friday afternoon. The home belongs to Beverly Duncan, the mother of Taylor's pregnant ex-girlfriend.
Taylor and his ex-girlfriend met several years ago when she lived in Baton Rouge, the mother said.
Taylor said he was in Las Vegas to see the birth of his daughter.
During the stake out, the detectives saw Taylor, Jones and the pregnant ex-girlfriend get into the green Honda Civic and drive away. The detectives trailed the car and called for a marked patrol unit to pull the vehicle over so police could make the arrest, the arrest report said.
At first, Jones thought the stop was for a traffic violation, but when the police cars kept coming, she knew it was something more, she said.
"I was like ... `Just go,' " she said.
Taylor hit the gas and sped away, the report said.
The Honda raced into North Las Vegas with numerous police cars in pursuit. The car stopped briefly outside an apartment complex, and Taylor's pregnant ex-girlfriend jumped out, police said.
Jones said the 21-year-old was panicking, and Jones didn't want her in harm's way, either. Jones said she then climbed into the front seat.
Taylor had the gun and was preparing to shoot when Jones asked for the weapon, she said.
"They pulled up behind us with their guns ... so we pulled out our guns," Jones said.
The couple had brought the assault rifle with them from Baton Rouge, she said.
Police said the weapon, a fully automatic DPMS Panther AR-15, had been reported stolen in Louisiana. The .223-caliber gun had a 100-round drum magazine and was marked for government or law enforcement use only, police said.
As the Honda sped through red lights, Jones leaned out the window several times and fired at the pursuing police cars, police said.
Officers reported gunfire at Carey Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard; Lake Mead Boulevard and Interstate 15; Las Vegas Boulevard North and Tonopah Avenue; Main Street near Washington Avenue; Bonanza Road and Main; and Martin Luther King near the Spaghetti Bowl, according to the arrest report.
After 15 minutes, the pursuit ended at Bonanza and Martin Luther King when the Honda got tangled in traffic and rear-ended a pickup.
As police officers closed in, Taylor and Jones talked of ending it all, the report said.
"Jones stated she and Taylor discussed committing suicide by coming out of the vehicle in a threatening manner and shooting at officers hoping they would shoot back and kill both Jones and Taylor," the report said.
But Taylor wouldn't do it, and both were arrested, the report said.
Taylor didn't surrender until he received several zaps from police Taser guns, police said.
Police said they found the rifle on Jones' lap with 50 rounds left in the magazine.
Jones said Tuesday that her only regret was not putting up a fight.
"If I did, I'd probably be in dead," Jones said. "But it's better than being in jail."
