Officers named in two shootings

Monday, Oct. 21, 2002 | 9:46 a.m.

Metro Police have released the names of the officers involved in two shootings last week.

Officer Ken Wellington, 43, has been on paid administrative leave since the Oct. 7 shooting at Mount Charleston, Chief Deputy Ray Flynn said this morning.

Wellington, who joined Metro in 1977, responded to a domestic violence call and shot at a man identified as Thomas Rotsch, 52. Police allege Rotsch charged at Wellington with a knife.

Neither Rotsch nor Wellington was injured.

Officer Chris Curtis, 33, has been on paid administrative leave since Wednesday's shooting of a 16-year-old boy in an apartment complex at East Owens Avenue and Pecos Road. Police said the boy waved a handgun, which turned out to be a BB gun.

The boy, who was wounded in the waist, was treated at University Medical Center and released into police custody.

Curtis has been with Metro since 1992, Flynn said.

The officers were placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with Metro's policy.

Flynn expects the investigations into the shootings to take four weeks. The use-of-force board, a committee comprising four citizens and three police officers, is expected to convene within six weeks to investigate the shootings.