Metro’s Shay Mikalonis attends ‘Police vs Fire’ charity game
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Metro police officer Shay Mikalonis made an appearance on Saturday, attending the Police vs Fire Charity Tackle Football Game at Bishop Gorman High School.
“He had a great time and had a chance to visit with friends and see people he knew and worked with!” according to a post on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Facebook page. “He was honored to lead the police team onto the field before kickoff!”
Mikalonis was paralyzed in a June 2020 shooting on the Las Vegas Strip as police monitored activity related to protests of George Floyd’s death. Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, as he pleaded for help, telling officers, “I can’t breathe.”
“Shay continues to receive care following the June 2020 shooting on the Las Vegas Strip that left him paralyzed,” according to the Facebook post.
It wasn’t Mikalonis’s first time out at community and police events. 8 News Now previously reported his visit to the Convention Center Area Command in January of 2023, and he made a surprise appearance at City National Arena in August of 2021 for a hockey-themed fundraiser in his honor. Mikalonis is described as a “huge” hockey fan, and after the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup last year, the Cup was taken to Mikalonis for a visit in September.
Mikalonis was in the courtroom in April 2022 when the man who shot him, Edgar Samaniego, was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison.
In November of 2021, Mikalonis attended the LVMPD Foundation’s 8th annual gala, where he was honored with a Purple Heart and Medal of Valor for his bravery in the line of duty.
This weekend’s appearance came just before National Police Week, which is being observed nationally and locally. Metro’s Honor Guard took part in events on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Metro also noted the contribution of Officer James Wirey, who donated a kidney to save LVMPD Summerlin Area Command’s Officer Garret Wilson’s life.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
