Holly MatkinLas Vegas, NV – Edmonds Police Department (EPD) Officer Tyler Steffins died on March 26 after being stabbed during an argument, according to police.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) homicide detectives said the 33-year-old off-duty officer was on a pedestrian bridge near the 3900-block of South Las Vegas Boulevard between the MGM and New York-New York casinos when he got into an argument with 58-year-old Freddy Allen at approximately 9:40 p.m., KIRO reported.
The confrontation possibly involved a disagreement about a dog, police said.
Bystanders flagged over two LVMPD officers who were out on foot patrol and told them about the argument, KIRO reported.
The officers were en route to the scene when a witness told them someone had been stabbed.
They arrived to find Allen holding a knife, according to police.
Allen took off running and tossed the six-inch hunting knife into the Statue of Liberty fountain, but was quickly apprehended, KIRO reported.
Officer Steffins was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Allen has been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of murder with a deadly weapon, KIRO reported.
The investigation into the fatal confrontation remains ongoing.
“This is a tragic loss for our agency when our staff and the entire region is already in a state of mourning for other fallen officers,” EPD Chief Michelle Bennett said in a press release on Monday. “While we grieve with heavy hearts, our peer support program members are actively engaging with our staff.”
Chief Bennett said Officer Steffins “was a valued member of our police family” and that he had an “infectious smile and contagious laugh.”
“We will miss him terribly but cherish the times we had with him,” she wrote.
Prior to joining the EPD in March of 2018, Officer Steffins served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He graduated from the police academy first in his class, the EPD said.
Officer Steffins was assigned to both day and night shifts in his role as an EPD patrol officer.
He leaves behind his wife and two young children.
Officer Steffins is also survived by his parents, siblings, friends, and loved ones.
With deep sadness, the Edmonds Police Department announces the loss of Officer Tyler Steffins on Saturday, March 26th. More: https://t.co/Vzle9G7B5w pic.twitter.com/pQbPXWHLq9
— Edmonds Police Department (@EdmondsPolice) March 28, 2022
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Edmonds Police Department Officer Tyler Steffins, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
Sandy Malone
