Former paramedic, lifeguard agrees to plea deal in bizarre attack
Terry Rogaczewski said he still has no recollection of pointing a gun at people in cars, emptying the clip of his .40-caliber handgun or of being shot by police.
But on Wednesday, the 42-year-old former paramedic, lifeguard, park ranger and security officer agreed to a plea deal on two counts of felony discharging a firearm out of a structure or a vehicle, along with one count of misdemeanor resisting a public officer.
The agreement with prosecutors was drawn up under what’s known as an Alford plea, which meant Rogaczewski did not admit guilt but acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him.
Locked up since the bizarre Nov. 3, 2012, incident, Rogaczewski would be eligible for parole immediately after his sentencing in May.
Defense lawyer Josh Tomsheck said Rogaczewski had taken prescription Ambien earlier that day.
He “laid down on the couch to watch ‘Duck Dynasty,’ and the next thing he knew he was in the hospital, and he had been shot multiple times,” Tomsheck said. “He has no memory whatsoever of the incident.”
What authorities said occurred while Rogaczewski was lost in the fog of the prescription shocked those who knew him.
Las Vegas police said he attempted to carjack two vehicles at the Town & Country Manor III at 5390 Boulder Highway, near East Harmon Avenue.
Police said he held the driver of a Nissan Altima at gunpoint, fired his gun into a Cadillac and then pointed the gun at officers who tried to stop him.
Rogaczewski, who had no known criminal background, appeared to have chosen his victims at random, police said at the time.
Responding officers reported that Rogaczewski fired several shots at them before police returned fire.
Tomsheck pointed to Rogaczewski’s “remarkable” work history — as a ranger at Yellowstone National Park and a lifeguard featured in the Los Angeles Times for whale-saving efforts — and said he has family support and jobs lined up once he is paroled.
He moved to Las Vegas for a casino paramedic job. He had also planned to work as a police officer at Nellis Air Force Base, Tomsheck said.
Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker
