Two men shot by Las Vegas police identified
Two men shot by Las Vegas police last week were identified on Monday.
Terry Rogaczewski, 39, was shot and injured Saturday night, police said.
Daniel Taiwan Hathorne, also 39, was shot and killed on Friday morning.
Las Vegas police said Rogaczewski was trying to gain entry into the passenger side of a vehicle during an attempted carjacking at the Town & Country Manor III, 5390 Boulder Highway near Harmon Avenue, when he was confronted by police at 9:22 p.m.
Police said he pointed a gun at them. Two officers returned fire, striking him an unknown number of times. The officers were identified late Monday as David M. Denton, 35, and Theodore Richard Snodgrass III, 25.
Rogaczewski was taken to University Medical Center in stable condition. He was arrested on charges of attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and discharging a firearm into a structure.
Police said a preliminary investigation determined Rogaczewski attempted to take two cars. The driver of the first car was able to drive away unharmed, while the second driver tried to flee the complex as the suspect fired into the vehicle, police said. That driver hit a wall surrounding the property but was able to get away on foot unharmed.
Police said the officers involved have been placed on routine administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
On Friday, at about 7:45 a.m., officers Russell Ellsworth, 28, and Brandon Oris, 29, shot and killed Hathorne as he held a woman at knifepoint.
Police said he had been refusing to vacate his room at Siegel Suites at 3825 Cambridge St., near Twain Avenue and Maryland Parkway. He had threatened to take hostages if hotel management forced him to leave.
When police responded, Hathorne grabbed an elderly woman outside the complex and held two knives to her neck. The officers shot him. He died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.
In addition to the shootings on Saturday and Friday, Las Vegas police shot a man earlier in that week. There have been nine Las Vegas police shootings this year.
On Oct. 29, police shot and killed Ronald James Morrison after he brandished a weapon about 3 p.m. outside the Ross Dress for Less store, 2420 E. Desert Inn Road, near Eastern Avenue.
Morrison, 52, was shot by officers Michael Henry, 41, Samantha Wimmer, 24, and Michele Iacullo, 33.
He was suspected of shooting a homeless man shortly before his confrontation with police. The homeless man was struck in the hand and was expected to recover.
Despite the recent rash of police shootings, the total number of shootings for the Metropolitan Police Department has declined compared with the past two years.
In 2010 and 2011, Las Vegas police had a combined 43 on-duty shootings.
Las Vegas police killed a record 12 people in 2011.
Review-Journal writer Joe Hawk contributed to this report. Contact reporter Mike Blasky at
mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.
