A man who was shot and killed by a California State Parks police officer at Palisades Tahoe Friday morning was an employee at the ski resort, according to resort officials.
The man, 29-year-old Vinton Miller, was armed with a knife at the time of the shooting, according to State Parks. The agency said in a statement Friday afternoon that they believed the man was involved in an earlier carjacking in Tahoe City, about 7 miles from the resort.
Authorities said that around 10 a.m., an officer tried to stop a vehicle involved in that incident, but a pursuit ensued that ended in a collision near the Olympic Valley Inn at Palisades Tahoe. The man got out of the vehicle holding a knife, and the officer fired, the agency said.
A California Highway Patrol officer was arriving on the scene to assist at the time of the shooting. According to State Parks, officers provided the man with medical aid, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Palisades spokesperson Patrick Lacey confirmed to The Standard on Saturday afternoon that Miller was an employee at the ski resort. Earlier, the Placer County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the shooting, identified Miller as the man who was killed and said he was staying in the Tahoe area on a work visa from Jamaica.
"We can confirm that Vinton Miller was an employee at Palisades Tahoe," Lacey said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this challenging time."
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It was not clear where the pursuit began or when the reported carjacking occurred. State Parks declined to provide additional information.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that witnesses saw a Palisades Tahoe truck driving recklessly in Tahoe City and near the turnoff for the resort prior to the shooting.
Sheriff's Sgt. Dave Smith told The Standard he could not confirm whether a Palisades truck was involved in the carjacking incident or the shooting but said investigators were looking into those reports. State Parks said the agency could not confirm if a Palisades truck was involved.
Lacey referred further questions to State Parks. The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate the shooting while State Parks conducts its own investigation, Smith said.
The shooting happened outside of the Olympic Village Event Center, located at 1901 Chamonix Place, which is known to host events such as weddings, according to Lacey.