Police shooting shuts down Interstate 80 near Reno’s Hawk Fire

Interstate 80 was partially closed to traffic near Reno after a shooting involving law enforcement occurred around 1:20 a.m. on Monday near the still burning Hawk Fire.

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All eastbound lanes were closed at Boomtown Garson Road, west of Reno. Westbound traffic slowed significantly with one lane open, and traffic was backed up near the California-Nevada state line. 

Reno City Councilmember Devin Reese said on Facebook that the “officer involved shooting” occurred after police responded to a vehicle that rolled over on eastbound Interstate 80 early on Monday morning. He did not say who fired a weapon or whether anyone was injured, though he did say, “We expect the interstate to reopen once the medical examiner completes their work on scene.” Reese said the shooting is not related to the Hawk Fire. 

The Nevada State Police did not provide details about the shooting or the cause of the closure in a Facebook post. The Nevada Department of Transportation issued an alert on its traffic map early Monday morning that stated a shooting occurred and that “major police activity” was present. 

“There is no active threat to public safety,” the Nevada State Police wrote on Facebook. “Please avoid the area while law enforcement continues its investigation.”

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SFGATE reached out to the Reno Police Department, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department and the Nevada State Police for more information but did not receive a response before publication.

Traffic cameras showed law enforcement blocking all eastbound lanes on Interstate 80 at a pullout near Mogul, a neighborhood between Reno and Verdi.

The Hawk Fire in Reno has burned more than 15,000 acres with zero containment, according to Inciweb, with 720 people working to stop the flames and protect homes. The fire is burning on Peavine Peak, a prominent mountain in the northwest corner of the city that overlooks downtown, the university, and thousands of homes.