‘Our fallen hero’: Slain North Las Vegas officer remembered in memorial service
On the morning of Feb. 4, North Las Vegas police officer Jason Roscow and other members of his squad went to a park for its annual photo day.
“We lined up and took a few photos in front of some palm trees and a waterfall,” said North Las Vegas Police Department Sgt. Daryl Reitz. “When it was over, Jason said something to the effect of, ‘Well, let’s go get our real photos taken at the playground.’ We did. The whole squad went over to the playground, laughing and giggling.”
Only hours later, heartbreak would replace the happiness from the photo shoot, as Roscow, 46, was shot dead in the line of duty while attempting to apprehend a man with a gun.
Roscow was memorialized Thursday at Central Church in Henderson following a law enforcement procession from Palm South Jones Mortuary at South Jones and West Oakey boulevards in Las Vegas.
The procession, which included dozens of police and first responder vehicles, traveled a route that included the Las Vegas Strip, where many hotels — including Mandalay Bay, Caesars Palace and Aria — displayed Roscow’s photo. His photo, along with a North Las Vegas police badge, was also displayed outside Allegiant Stadium.
Central Church is where Reitz made his comments about his colleague and friend.
‘Always there, always present’
Roscow, a 17-year veteran of the North Las Vegas police force, was described by colleagues and family members as a jokester who loved his family and friends and loved being a police officer.
“He was the life of the party,” Reitz said. “Jason was always there, always present. He made sure to be there for those around him.”
North Las Vegas officer Maria Horn fought back tears at times as she described how Roscow made sure she never felt out of place, even though he had much more experience as an officer.
“He treated me with respect and spoke to me as if I was an experienced (veteran), valuing my opinion and viewpoints,” Horn said. “It allowed me to comfortably develop my skills as a fellow officer.”
On Feb. 4, Roscow got into a gunfight in a North Las Vegas neighborhood with Alexander Mathis, a 25-year-old who had reportedly been throwing rocks at cars in the area. Callers had reported that the man had a gun. Soon, Roscow was giving chase.
Roscow was shot multiple times by Mathis, who had fired five rounds from a Makarov pistol, police said in a news conference Wednesday.
Despite having been shot, Roscow managed to fire off 16 rounds, police said. Mathis died of a single gunshot wound to the head, the coroner’s office said.
Leaves behind two sons
During Thursday’s service, officers and law enforcement personnel packed the Henderson megachurch, near Russell Road and Interstate 11, which is also known as U.S. Highway 95.
The church has hosted numerous police officer and firefighter funerals in recent years, including the October 2022 funeral for Metropolitan Police Department officer Truong Thai, who was also shot and killed in the line of duty. Funerals for trooper Alberto Felix and Sgt. Michael Abbate, both of the Nevada Highway Patrol, were held there after Felix and Abbate were killed in November 2023 by an impaired hit-and-run driver.
Outside the church Thursday, many stood in the rain, waiting for the procession to arrive. Soon after, a drum procession followed, along with a police helicopter flyover, before Roscow’s casket was delivered in a police pickup truck.
Roscow’s family was front and center for the services. He leaves behind two sons, Graysen, 9, and Andrew, 4. The elder son was seen in a black suit, clutching a stuffed animal.
Roscow’s brother, Michael Roscow, said his younger sibling was a gift and someone who “loved life.”
“He was the baby of our family,” Michael Roscow said. “He meant so much to us. He was the shining star of our family. He had the looks, the big smile, the big personality. He was liked by everyone.”
A common theme among speakers at the memorial — Jason Roscow loved jokes and loved to have fun. He also loved chocolate milk, smoking cigarettes and, yes, mini-doughnuts.
But he was also described as someone who took his job seriously. Most of his police career was spent as a traffic officer, where he was described as a skilled driver and someone who took it personally when drivers broke traffic laws.
“It was often joked about that Jason would cite his own mother if she were speeding,” said North Las Vegas Lt. Kanowell Lee. “She confirmed that (Wednesday) when I spoke to her.”
Funeral mass set for Illinois hometown
A funeral mass for Roscow was scheduled to take place Monday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Roscow’s hometown of Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, with burial to follow.
Reitz said Roscow told him recently that he was looking forward to a planned trip back to Illinois this summer.
Following the service, North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown called Roscow’s death a “heartbreaking loss” for the city.
“In difficult times like this, we always come together and support each other,” Goynes-Brown said. “We had law enforcement agencies from not just here, but also from other states today. We appreciate all the support we’ve received over our fallen hero.”
Roscow’s family didn’t speak with media members after Thursday’s service, but his father, Ervin Roscow, told a reporter that the days since his son’s death have been “the most trying days of our lives.”
As he finished his remarks inside Central Church on Thursday, Lee closed with a matter-of-fact, though heart-wrenching, sign-off.
“Jason, we love you, brother,” Lee said. “We’ll take it from here.”
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com.
