Coroner IDs armed man shot by police during traffic stop

By Pashtana Usufzy

Published Monday, July 13, 2015 | 10:13 a.m.

Updated Monday, July 13, 2015 | 11:25 a.m.

Metro Police released the name this morning of an officer who fatally shot a man Friday after authorities say the man pulled a gun and wounded another officer during a traffic stop.

Patrol officer Brian Kroening, 32, fired multiple shots, killing 54-year-old James Michael Todora on Sahara Avenue west of Lindell Road, according to Metro Police and the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

Todora, whose city of residence wasn’t immediately available, was driving a gold Jeep Grand Cherokee on Sahara Avenue about 9:30 a.m. when he was pulled over for a minor traffic violation, police said.

He exited the SUV and began yelling at an officer, telling the officer to shoot him before being ordered back into his vehicle, police said.

The officer approached the SUV to speak with Todora and during the conversation, Todora threatened to kill himself and pulled a handgun, police said.

The two struggled over the weapon, and when extra police units arrived, the suspect fired a round, grazing the neck of 28-year-old responding officer Evan Hogue, police said.

Kroening, an eight-year veteran of Metro, approached from the passenger side and shot Todora, who was pronounced dead on scene, police said.

Hogue, who joined Metro in September 2014, was taken to University Medical Center and released the same day, police said.

He is currently a patrol officer in the Field Training and Evaluation Program, police said.

Kroening and Hogue have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure in officer-involved shootings, police said.