Mother of 3-year-old shot dead after being kidnapped by his dad in Las Vegas blames cops
The mother of a three-year-old boy, who was killed as his father engaged in a shootout with police in Las Vegas on Tuesday, blames the officers involved for the tragedy.
Authorities allege suspect Quinton Baker, 28, killed his son, Kentre, in the early hours of February 3 after snatching him from his mother’s home.
However, the child’s mother, Raneka Pate, 28, has slammed the police reaction to the shooting, instead saying they shot him dead.
“There was a plethora of bullets… They are trying to play damage control, but they will pay for killing my son,” Pate told The Las Vegas Review-Journal in the wake of the tragedy.
Described as “pure sunshine in human form” by his mother, Kentre’s death has left his family’s hearts “broken beyond words,” according to a GoFundMe page that has been set up by relatives.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police first became aware of an incident unfolding at an apartment complex near the Strip when a friend of Kentre’s mother called 911 after 1:00 am. She said Kentre’s mother had been attacked by Baker in an attempt to kidnap the child.
Minutes later, the boy’s mother called the police and uttered the chilling words, “He’s threatening to kill me and my son. He’s going to hurt my baby.”
Body cam footage shared by Assistant Sheriff Bryan Peterson captured the rest of the incident.
The footage first shows officers Jonathan Lo and Damon O’Donnell meeting the boy’s mother at her apartment on the South Maryland Parkway, before Baker eventually appears.
The suspect can be seen aiming a firearm at his own son’s chest, as one of the officers shouts, “Stop, stay right there.”
“You need to put that down, man,” another officer says.
However, the father refused to comply with the demands, advancing towards the officers with the gun still aimed at Kentre’s chest.
“He stopped and said he wanted to see the child’s mom, and that he was going to kill himself,” Peterson told reporters, referring to Baker. “Because of the immediate threat to the child, officers discharged their firearm.
“Simultaneously, Baker discharged his firearm five times.”
The body-cam footage shows the moment that the police bullet struck Baker, who later died at the scene.
An officer immediately picked up Kentre and sprinted toward medical personnel stationed at the front of the apartment complex.
“It’s alright, buddy,” he can be heard saying as he runs around 300 yards to get to the medics. “It’s okay.”
Kentre later died at a nearby hospital, with detectives determining that he had been struck in the head by a bullet fired by his father.
One officer was struck in the foot by another bullet fired by Baker.
Both Officers Jonathan Lo and Damon O’Donnell have been placed on routine paid administrative leave until the conclusion of a review into the shooting.
Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched by Kentre’s mother to cover funeral expenses, as well as the time away from work needed by the family as they grieve.
Kentre’s mother wrote in the campaign’s description that her son had a “playful, curious spirit and was fearless with a smile that could melt any heart.”
The mom also shared that her son had a love for “marine life,” often regaling his loved ones with facts about the ocean and the animals that live there.
“He always carried a sea creature with him everywhere he went and had the cutest habit of naming every ocean animal that would enjoy bath time with him and placing them on the edge of the bathtub before actually getting in kind of like a roll call,” she continued.
She signed off the note by describing herself as “Kentre’s Mommy Shark.”
