TRUTH CAMPAIGN 08

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Law Enforcement: Ohio SWAT Officer Who Killed Young Mother in Drug Raid Gets Charged With Misdemeanors, Faces Eight Months at Most

Back in January, Sgt. Joseph Chavalia, a member of the Lima, Ohio, SWAT team shot and killed Tarika Wilson, 26, and shot and maimed her infant son, Sincere Wilson, as she held him in her arms as he and other SWAT team members executed a drug search warrant at the home Wilson shared with her boyfriend. The boyfriend was the object of the raid.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/files/limaswat1.gif
graphic appearing on Lima SWAT team web site, removed after shooting
Police have presented no evidence that Wilson acted in a threatening manner as the SWAT team burst into her home.

On Monday, prosecutors charged Chavalia with two misdemeanors -- negligent homicide in the death of Wilson and negligent assault in the wounding of her child -- that could see him spend a maximum of eight months in prison if convicted on both counts. Wilson's relatives and activists, many of whom allege a pattern of discriminatory policing by the Lima police, were outraged.

The shooting itself touched off heated city council meetings and protest marches. Many citizens and civil rights leaders, including national figures like the Rev. Jesse Jackson, had called for police and local elected officials to be held accountable. Those calls grew louder after Chavalia's charges were announced.

"Any time a man shoots through a baby and kills an unarmed woman, and is charged with two misdemeanors, I think it would be an understatement to say that that's unacceptable," said Jason Upthegrove, Lima NAACP president, in an interview with the Associated Press.

Upthegrove said the charges should have been more serious. He added that the Lima NAACP will ask the FBI and the Justice Department to investigate whether the case has been handled fairly.

"No one's above the law, even if he serves it," said Ivory Austin II, brother of Tarika Wilson. "Don't separate the police from the people. We are all equal in the society. Treat the police like you would treat the common man," he told the AP.

Lima Police Chief Greg Garlock said there was continued sadness over the shooting. "It's a sad day for us that one of our officers was indicted," Garlock said.

Such pigs

So the cops are "sad" that one of theirs was indicted, but not a word about the victim! They aren't sad about this legalized murder and the Gestapo-like conduct of the police, but only about the repercussions. That's how far the police has sunk in this vicious war on drugs. Murder and mayhem are perfectly acceptable as long as it's committed by the police. A war on the innocent, and it's not enough to imprison masses of black people, but also to shoot women and children. Such nazi-like conduct in America, of all places. I am ashamed of my country and the vicious animals who run it.

Harry Fisher
Los Angeles

peace officer where?

60 years of pot law and tax has lead to this

Police corruption

In Albany, NY, an investigation was started that seems to be going nowhere (so what else is new) involving a bunch of cops and a local prosecutor who used a federal law that allowed them to purchase heavy-duty hardware to go after those oh-so-dangerous drug users and dealers. The cops and the prosecutor then bought said hardware with their own money, I guess to make the paperwork look right and then put the stuff on the market. Apparently an assault rifle was found in a gun dealer's shop in Virginia where we all know criminals go to buy their irons. Way to go Kojacks!!!!!!!

negligent homicide is only a misdemeanor?

8 months max, you could get a year max for smoking a j where I live! What a problem child American justice is.

free fire zones

Sounds like the war on drugs is really a war not just rhetoric. Directive 525-3 interpretation in Vietnam allow Tiger Force to "kill every thing that lived" in villages like My Lai nineteen times. General Westmoreland said that in "free fire zones" all inhabitants could be deemd as enemy combatants. The killings included old men, women and children.
It appears that in the USA (and this will filter into Australia) a SWAT team can consider any one, even a woman and a child as a hostile drug user, even after the warranted target has been arrested. Any black drug hostile and her child is now open game in any building that is inhabited by a drug offender, even when she is on a floor above.

Dieter Moeckel
Banimanimunak
Australia

Four dead in Ohio !

The Lima, Ohio SWAT Team, is the perfect example of out of control law enforcement. I don't know what's wrong with the offical's in Ohio but this SWAT team should be disbanded. They are nothing more than new age NAZI's living in their own world. I hate to think what these guy's would have done at Kent State back in the day.

Be a good citizen. Always vote NOT GUILTY in drug cases

The only way we will ever get rid of these nazi types is to serve on juries whenever possible. (Dress and act like a policeman) Use your connstitutional right as a juror to invalidate bad drug laws by jury nullification. As a side note, if you are unfortunate and are arrested for drugs, never waive your rights and demand a jury trial. If this happens enough it will clog the courts and more reasonable laws may prevail. At least, that is my hope. Watch the video, Busted. KNOW your rights!

It is my opinion

Since we hire police to be in a position of authority over the citizenry (and this goes for politicians, too) they should be held to a much higher standard than the average citizen. ANY infraction by a law enforcement agent (or politician), no matter how "trivial" should bring the hammer down HARD, meaning immediate suspension, without pay, until trial!

And punishment upon conviction for said infraction should be more severe than for the average citizen -- permanent loss of job, higher fines and longer jail terms than for average citizens who commit the same infraction.

As is the purpose with jury nullification in drug cases being to change the law, jurors should always find the defendents "guilty" when the defendents are cops who have killed a suspect or innocent bystander (unless it can be proven the suspect had a gun trained on the cop) and request the harshest penalties possible in sentencing. Cops getting off damn near scott free in cases like the above (and too many other similar incidents) has got to stop!

http://www.crimevictimservices.org/

Since Wilson and her son have become victims of crime her family should consider seeking help from Crime Victim Services.

Due process

I'm glad to see your are watching/reading the "Know your rights" video/book. Does the book have a chapter on Due process and the little statement of being innocent until proven guilty? I applaud you all for bypassing this little right of the people to further your agenda. Why should police have the same rights as you. You already know they are guilty without hearing their case so why bother with the courts, right? You all sound like the "Nazis" that you compare police officers to as you would just as soon take away their rights and execute without a "needless" trial. Good luck to you all with a consience.

justus

Nubians here in racist america are found guilty until proven innocent. It's a shame that racist pigs can kill, rape, and brutality beat Nubian kings and queens. The boys in 'blue' have a license to kill Nubian people. These white niggas (dumb crackers) are the most viscious, savage, beastly barbarians on the planet and they will not change. It's time to bear arms and kill the enemy just like the are killing us!!!

Kill the enemy?????

the only enemy is the opinion of the very few from which this issue of race and the police has blown up from. The action of a small percentage of law enforcement officers and with the aid of the media turns these tragic and unforgivable acts to a global ideology encompassing all law enforcement, this is wrong and attacking the police will only incite more tragedy. to resolve these issues such as this one the fact that he is a police officer should not be relevant or should be a reason for a heavier punitive action against him, he was in control of his weapon and is trained on proper use of it and how to properly identify and engage threats as they appear not see movement and kill it. Its time for change and killing people is not the answer a civil organisation with no law enforcement ties should be formed to review, investigate and prosecute all levels of law enforcement no leniency shall be given only what the law requires per state criminal code.
THE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FEAR THE GOVERNMENT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FEAR THE PEOPLE!!!

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