There will be no easy end to this for Lima. Tensions are high but so far calms has held its course despite several local ministers looking to stir up the fires of people’s passions. Not as if they weren’t already stirred. Little details have really come out so far and won’t until the investigation is complete. However the officer involved has been identified.
Police came in and took out the pit bulls which isn’t surprising as thy could represent a risk. What is unclear is why a veteran made the call to take shots at the mother. I believe a fuller picture will come out but in the meantime there doesn’t appear to be any result that will please the community. If the officer is charged and convicted it will only take some other, even minor, incident to set this aflame once again. If the officer is cleared there can only be some very serious reactions in the community. We will continue to monitor this as it develops. Either way life is forever altered for the family who lost a member, the life of the child and certainly the officer who fired his weapon.
[Lima News] LIMA — After the name of the Lima Police Department SWAT team officer responsible for his sister’s death was released Wednesday, Ivory Austin said the biggest question he wants answered is why it happened.
The officer, Sgt. Joe Chavalia, is the same officer who gave the command to use deadly force during the department’s last fatal shooting in 2000 at the Lima Rescue Home. On Friday, Chavalia was the SWAT team officer who fired the fatal shots that killed 26-year-old Tarika Wilson during a drug raid at 218 E. Third St.
Wilson was shot twice in the torso. Wilson’s 1-year-old son, Sincere, also was shot in the shoulder and hand.
Chavalia, 52, is a 31-year veteran of the department and has served on the SWAT team for 22 years. He is the former commander of the team but lost that title when another officer, Chip Protsman, was promoted to lieutenant, giving him the higher rank.
Chavalia remains on administrative leave as standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting. Chavalia, whose job assignment before the shooting was the second-shift supervisor, has the third-most seniority, behind Chief Greg Garlock and Maj. Richard Shade, according to police records.
2 Responses
“Police came in and took out the pit bulls”…
Any dog could react aggressively to such an intrusion.
The truth is these cops were out of control. No excuses.
A quick look at Lima PDs webpage revealed an animated SWAT officer shooting directly at the viewer. Totally juvenile. This picture was hurriedly removed when it’s embarrasing nature was pointed out by sane members of the community.
“What is unclear is why a veteran made the call to take shots at the mother.”
An understatement. What happened is he put his bugger hook on the bang switch TWICE when he shouldn’t have. This officer violated at least TWO fundamental rules of frearms handling:
1. Watch your muzzle direction, and
2. Keep your finger of the trigger until you decide to shoot.
If any non-LEO had made such a mistake, intentional or not, he or she would be in jail, charged with manslaughter. No mistake about it.
Philip
Posted on January 14th, 2008 at 7:52 am
A tragedy for sure, which a commented at Cops&Lawyers. His experience and training makes me think that the situation was much more volital than we may ever know. The result will satisfy no-one, regardless fo outcome. The planning and execution of this operation needs to be crutinized for sure, but jumping to conclusions about the officer, any racial motivations, or the deceased is premature.
The A-Hole.
http://www.copsandlawyers.blogspot.com
Posted on January 18th, 2008 at 9:22 am
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