BULLHEAD CITY – A 16-year veteran of the Bullhead City Police Department acted in self-defense and took appropriate action when he shot and killed a man attacking him with a baseball bat. That’s the conclusion of the Mohave County Attorney’s office following review of the Lake Havasu City Police Department’s independent investigation of the Officer Involved Shooting (OIS).
Chief Deputy County Attorney James Schoppmann reviewed witness accounts, investigative reports, and the body camera footage that shows Officer David Cornelison shooting Revtevye Rogers, 24, on June 26. Cornelison had responded to the 1600 block of Ramar Road regarding an aggressive male subject armed with a baseball bat.
Schoppmann said Rogers ignored repeated warnings to put down the bat and was increasingly aggressive when he was tased. Cornelison reportedly dropped his taser and retreated when Rogers struck him with the bat.
“Rogers continued to aggressively advance at Officer Cornelison in defiance of commands to stop,” Schoppmann said. “In fear of his life and only then did Officer Cornelison fire seven rounds from his duty handgun at Rogers with three of those rounds striking Rogers, resulting in his death.”
Schoppmann said Rogers’ devoted parents had attempted to get help for their son’s mental health issues weeks before the shooting. The parents indicated an agency contacted on Rogers’ behalf indicated it could not provide any lasting service to him.
“Officer Cornelison showed great restraint in this case, to the point that he could have been seriously injured or killed,” Schoppmann said. “Officer Cornelison’s use of deadly physical force was justified.”
Dave Hawkins