Las Vegas resident Travis Doering, 40, — formerly of Becker — died of a gunshot wound to the head after one Metro SWAT officer fired at him during a standoff April 8. Doering had left his home in the 5700 block of Macenta Avenue, near Twain Avenue and Lindell Road, armed with a rifle.
Patrol officers had been at the scene for approximately two hours after receiving a call from Doering’s roommates at approximately 3:30 a.m.
reporting he had a rifle and was threatening to commit suicide, police said. Among the officers responding to the scene was an officer with critical incident training. The officer spoke on the phone with Doering for about an hour, police said. Doering hung up several times and also occasionally came outside while armed with the rifle, he said.
SWAT was called to the scene. As the officers were taking their positions, Doering came outside again and pointed the gun “in the direction” of two patrol officers, police said. SWAT officer John Jessie Wiggins fired, striking Doering in the head.
Doering was taken to University Medical Center, where he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Doering, the son of Mike Doering and Linda (Mumme, Doering) Mock of Becker, was born in Minnesota but had moved to Las Vegas more than a decade ago and was a musician and technician at H.A.S. Productions. Doering went to college in Minnesota for music, played the guitar and drums, and often traveled with bands.
Wiggins, 41, has been placed on routine paid administrative leave while the shooting is reviewed. He has worked for Metro since 2002, and is assigned to the Metro Emergency Operations Bureau SWAT section, police said.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Funeral services were held Wednesday at Resurrection Lutheran Church in St. Joseph.
