A carjacking suspect who was shot and killed Friday morning at Palisades Tahoe ski resort has been identified as an employee – Vinton Miller.
In a post on Facebook, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office identified the 29-year-old Miller as the suspect. Authorities say he was staying in the Tahoe area on a work visa from Jamaica. Miller was reportedly hired a part of the seasonal staff at Palisades Tahoe.
Patrick Lacey, a spokesman with Palisades Tahoe, confirmed Saturday that Miller was an employee at the largest ski resort in the Lake Tahoe region.
During the shooting incident, skiers and snowboarders were not in danger and the majority had no idea the late-morning incident was taking place. The area was quickly secured and cordoned off from the public, and did not shut down Palisades Tahoe.
“Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this challenging time,” Lacey said in an email statement.
After a wild pursuit that put many other Tahoe drivers in jeopardy, it ended in a traffic collision outside the Olympic Village Event Center at Palisades Tahoe. Miller exited the vehicle armed with a knife and that led to him being shot by a State Park Peace Officer (SPPO). A California Highway Patrol officer also arrived on the scene to assist.
The SPPO has not released details on how many shots were fired or what happened that prompted the officer to fire their gun. It is also unknown if Miller still had the knife in hand during the shooting.
Officers provided medical aid to Miller, but despite their efforts the subject succumbed to his injuries.
Gloria Sandoval, a deputy director of public affairs with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, said the SPPO officer who shot Miller was placed on administrative leave, per department policy. The officer’s name has not been released.
“This is all of the information that I can provide at this time,” Sandoval said.
The vehicle was reportedly a Palisades Tahoe truck. Eyewitnesses described the truck swerving erratically along Highway 28 before it crashed near at Palisades Tahoe. A frightened passenger, who wasn’t identified, jumped out of the moving vehicle to escape as Miller drove wildly in morning traffic.
Sheriff Sgt. Dave Smith, a spokesperson, said the incident at Palisades Tahoe happened at approximately 11 a.m.
It’s been a trying month for Palisades Tahoe. This is the second incident at the resort. On Jan. 9, an avalanche on newly opened KT-22 killed 66-year old Kenneth Kidd. A second avalanche took place one day later on the Alpine side of the resort. There were no injuries.
