Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks has determined that the August 8, 2022 Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) involving Brandon Douglas Allan by Reno Police Officers Mia Staples and A.J. Weaver was justified and lawful under Nevada law.
Consistent with this office’s ongoing public reporting on all OIS cases, District Attorney Hicks has released a detailed 26-page report containing the facts of the case, photographs, witness accounts, and the legal analysis supporting the determination. This determination is based on an extensive review of the investigation conducted by the Sparks Police Department, which was submitted to this office. The release of this OIS Report was delayed due to the subsequent criminal prosecution of Allan following his lengthy recovery from the shooting. The associated delay occurred to maintain the integrity of the criminal prosecution against Allan and is consistent with our regional practice in those situations.
Inquiries regarding the release of any public records involving the investigation and its evidence can be directed at the involved law enforcement agencies.
Introduction of the Report:
On August 8, 2022, at approximately 10:00 a.m., physical therapist Patrick Devlin arrived at 1500 Kestrel Court in Reno, Nevada, to provide in-home care to resident Anthony Taylor. At the same time, contractor Bruce Norman (Bruce) was also at the Taylor residence to perform fence work. While outside, Bruce observed a heavily tattooed white male, later identified as Brandon Douglas Allan (Allan), in the backyard near the fence line of 1500 Kestrel Court. Bruce saw that Allan was armed with a large knife and had a handgun in his waistband and witnessed him stabbing or jabbing the knife at the fence. Allan then confronted Bruce and told him, “You better get inside because stuff is going to happen,” prompting Bruce to retreat inside and warn the Taylors. At approximately 10:45 a.m., Marian Taylor (Marian) placed a 911 call reporting a male armed with a knife and gun acting erratically outside the residence.
At approximately 10:45 a.m., Reno Police Department (RPD) officers were dispatched to the disturbance involving the armed subject at 1500 Kestrel Court. Officer Mia Staples (Officer Staples) was the first officer to arrive on scene. Upon arrival, Officer Staples contacted residents of the home, entered the Taylor residence, and observed Allan from a living room window outside wearing dark blue shorts and a gray sleeveless shirt, with visible tattoos. Allan was armed with a knife in his hand and what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband. With her Body‑Worn Camera (BWC) activated, Officer Staples began issuing loud, clear verbal commands for Allan to drop the knife. Allan did not comply, acted erratically, and continued pacing in the street area near the residence.
Shortly thereafter, RPD K-9 Officer A.J. Weaver (Officer Weaver) responded to the scene after hearing radio traffic regarding the high-risk nature of the call. Upon arrival, Officer Weaver saw Officer Staples positioned in the middle of the road engaging with Allan. He pulled his patrol vehicle up to provide cover for Officer Staples while they continued to engage Allan. Both officers maintained verbal de-escalation efforts, repeatedly directing Allan to drop the knife and comply. Allan ignored their commands, appeared detached, and intermittently shifted the knife between his hands. He was also seen freeing his right hand near the firearm in his waistband. Allan then began moving away from the officers, walking down the cul-de-sac toward nearby homes on Kingfisher Drive, raising concerns that he could reach civilians or attempt to barricade himself inside a residence
Between approximately 10:50 a.m. and 10:56 a.m., additional RPD officers arrived, including Officers Christian Sexton (Officer Sexton), Kenneth Short (Officer Short), and Nicholas Triplett (Officer Triplett). Officer Sexton observed Officers Staples and Weaver with their firearms drawn and saw Allan in the street. Officers Short and Triplett arrived and also observed Officer Staples and Weaver continuing to command Allan to drop the knife.
At approximately 10:56 a.m., as Allan turned back toward Officers Staples and Weaver, he appeared to reach for the firearm in his waistband. Based on this perceived imminent threat, Officer Staples fired her firearm, discharging approximately four rounds, and Officer Weaver fired approximately three rounds. Multiple witnesses and surveillance footage captured the sequence of commands followed by gunfire. Allan was struck multiple times and fell face down on the asphalt roadway.
Immediately after the shooting, officers approached Allan while continuing to issue verbal commands. Allan was handcuffed for officer safety. Officers observed what appeared to be a black handgun no longer in his waistband and now located between Allan’s legs, and a large knife nearby where he fell. Medical aid was immediately rendered. Officers applied a chest seal and tourniquet to gunshot wounds until REMSA arrived. At approximately 11:00 a.m., Allan was transported by ambulance to Renown Regional Medical Center where he survived the incident.
Between 11:00 a.m. and the afternoon hours of August 8, 2022, detectives conducted a neighborhood canvass. During this time, they collected surveillance footage and interviewed multiple witnesses, including Marian, Bruce, and several nearby residents. Surveillance video captured officers issuing commands, Allan’s movements in the cul‑de‑sac, and the sequence of gunfire, including a round striking a nearby residence. Forensic investigators processed the scene, documenting fired cartridge casings, a knife, and a Sig Sauer P226‑style pneumatic CO₂ gun recovered near Allan.
A records check confirmed that Allan was on lifetime parole supervision with Nevada Parole and Probation stemming from a prior murder conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or weapons. The investigation documented that Officers Sexton, Short, and Triplett did not fire their weapons. Attempts to interview Allan on August 17 and August 23, 2022, were unsuccessful due to his medical condition.
On August 12, 2022, a criminal complaint was filed against Allan, charging him with Resisting a Public Officer with a Dangerous Weapon Other Than a Firearm and Owning or Possessing a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. It was subsequently confirmed that the weapon carried by Allan during the OIS was not a firearm it was a Sig Sauer P226-style pneumatic CO₂ handgun. As a result, an Amended Criminal Complaint was later filed charging Allan solely with Resisting a Public Officer with a Dangerous Weapon Other Than a Firearm.
Due to injuries Allan sustained as a result of the shooting, the case experienced delays. On March 24, 2025, Allan entered a guilty plea to two counts of Obstructing and Resisting an Officer.
Consistent with the regionally adopted Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) Protocol, Sparks Police Department (SPD) led the investigation into the shooting of Allan. Secondary investigative support was provided by Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), and forensic services were provided by the Washoe County Crime Laboratory (WCCL). The investigation included witness interviews, examination of physical evidence located on scene, review of video surveillance footage from multiple locations in addition to Body‑Worn Camera footage, and forensic examination of evidence.
All investigation reports, photographs, documents, video footage, forensic reports, witness statements, and recorded interviews were submitted to the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office (WCDA) in August 2025 for a determination of whether the shooting of Allan was legally justified. No criminal charges were recommended by SPD for the officers involved in the shooting. The WCDA’s evaluation included review of multiple police reports and documents, including interviews with police and civilian witnesses. It further included review of photographs, diagrams, and video footage.
Based on the available evidence and the applicable legal authorities, it is the opinion of the WCDA that the shooting of Allan by RPD Officers Staples and Weaver was justified and not a criminal act.
Excerpt from In-Depth Analysis:
The August 8, 2022, OIS involving Allan was justified under Nevada law. Allan’s cumulative conduct that day created circumstances in which the use of deadly force was reasonable.
Allan, a convicted murderer under parole lifetime supervision, initiated the escalating encounter by arming himself with a large knife and handgun, entering a residential yard, and stabbing a fence while warning the handyman, Bruce, “You better get inside because stuff is going to happen.” Concerned for the elderly resident, Bruce went inside and had the police called.
As Officer Staples entered the neighborhood, she was flagged down by an elderly couple walking their dog, who told her a man matching Allan’s description was behaving erratically, screaming, and threatening people. They indicated he had last been seen sitting on the lawn of a nearby residence.
When officers arrived, Allan continued his erratic and threatening behavior. Once encountering Allan, Officer Staples observed the knife in his hand and handgun in his waistband and further recognized that the neighborhood was active, with pedestrians and vehicles nearby. Positioning herself between Allan and the public, she ordered him to stop, drop the knife, and raise his hands. When Allan refused, Officer Staples warned him that she would shoot if he advanced.
Officer Weaver then joined the encounter. Allan continued refusing commands to drop the knife and raise his hands and began walking down the cul-de-sac toward homes partially obscured by trees and foliage. Officers then observed Allan moving his right hand toward the handgun in his waistband. Officer Staples announced what she was seeing. At that moment, she reasonably believed Allan posed an immediate threat to her, the other officers, and members of the public.
Officer Weaver’s account is consistent. He observed Allan holding the knife in the street and heard Officer Staples’ commands. He issued his own commands, telling Allan to drop the knife and assuring him that officers wanted to help. Allan refused, responding, “not today.” When Allan transferred the knife from his right hand to his left, freeing his right hand to reach toward the handgun, Officer Weaver’s concern increased. Allan then continued down the street, heightening Officer Weaver’s concern that he might approach a residence where civilians were present. Believing Allan was reaching for his firearm, Officer Weaver made the decision to use deadly force. Under the circumstances, he reasonably believed Allan posed an immediate threat to the public and law enforcement.
Significantly, after Allan was incapacitated and officers approached, the handgun previously observed in his waistband was lying between his legs, further corroborating the officers’ perception that he had been reaching for the firearm.
Civilian witnesses likewise corroborate the officers’ accounts. Bruce observed Allan’s possession of the weapons and his refusal to comply with police commands. Marian similarly witnessed Allan’s conduct and believed he posed a threat to the officers. Available video footage further corroborates the material aspects of these accounts.
Considering the applicable Nevada law, witness accounts, and available evidence, it is the opinion of this office that Allan presented an apparent and imminent danger of death or substantial bodily harm to law enforcement and members of the public. Under the totality of the circumstances, it was reasonable and lawful for Officers Staples and Weaver to use deadly force to stop the threat posed by Allan.
Based on the review of the entire investigation presented and the application of Nevada law to the known facts and circumstances surrounding the August 8th, 2022, OIS of Allan, the actions of Officers Staples and Weaver were warranted and justified under Nevada law. Unless new circumstances come to light which contradict the factual foundation upon which this decision is made, the District Attorney’s review of this case is officially closed.
Copies of all completed OIS reports are available on the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office’s website at washoelife.washoecounty.gov/ois-reports/
