John Christopher Bohach

Reno Gazette Journal

August 22, 2001

Suspect in officer shooting in Custody

A man suspected of fatally shooting a Reno police officer was taken into custody about 1 p.m. today after police stormed his house where he had held officers at bay with a high-powered rifle for nearly five hours.

The suspect, whom police have identified as Larry Tack, apparently was not injured as some 20 officers entered the house at 964 Vassar St. amid clouds of tear gas, authorities said.

“He is handcuffed and walking,” said Reno Deputy Police Chief Jim Weston. “We got the killer out of the house and in custody without hurting him.”

Police said the suspect fatally shot Officer John Bohach, 35, once in the chest with a high-powered rifle while helping fellow officers set up a perimeter around the house.

The incident began about 8 a.m. when a Reno police officer stopped a motorist on Sutro Street for driving erratically. The officer was writing a traffic ticket when the motorist suddenly drove off. Another officer came upon the vehicle and pursued it. The driver ran a red light, causing two other vehicles to collide. The driver then drove to the house on Vassar Street and went inside.

Bohach had been assigned to work patrol about a month and half ago. A 13-year veteran with the Reno Police Department, Bohach previously had been working as a detective assigned to investigate crimes against children. He leaves a wife and two children…

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