Centralia Court Security Officer Involved in December Shooting Resigns

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Centralia Municipal Court Security Officer Steve Howard, who fired his weapon into a vehicle while pursuing a man who fled arrest, submitted his resignation from the Centralia Police Department on Tuesday.

Any personnel issues with the officer-involved shooting in Dec. 16, 2014 are now closed, Chief Bob Berg wrote in a press release.

“I appreciate Officer Howard’s service to the community and his long term commitment to the law enforcement profession,” Berg said in the release.

Howard has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience. His resignation follows a report released last week stating a shooting review board and Berg agreed that Howard’s use of force was not within the department’s policies.

An attempt by The Chronicle contact Howard last week for comment about the board’s findings was unsuccessful.

The department will begin the process of finding a replacement for Howard’s temporary position where he provided security one day per week at the Centralia Municipal Court.

Howard told investigators he fired his gun into an SUV when, according to his account, the subject, Phillip Pinotti, of Adna, drove the vehicle at him. Howard had been attempting to handcuff Pinotti for a warrant in the hallway near the courtroom when the 22-year-old ran to the vehicle.

However, evidence and witness statements indicate that the discharge of the weapon may have been accidental. Howard also stated to authorities that he was standing adjacent to the driver’s door of the vehicle.

While the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office determined Howard’s actions were lawful, the board found that the use of force was not appropriate and that reasonable alternatives to firing the gun existed. Berg agreed with the determination.

“In terms of moving forward, there are lessons the department has learned regarding policies and procedures as well as training and documentation for individuals assigned to this duty,” Berg said in the Tuesday release.

The board and Berg also determined that policies regarding foot pursuits and court security officers should be modified. It was noted that while Howard had sufficient training, more documentation and formalization of training should have been completed.

“It is paramount that the public we serve have confidence in their police department both in terms of the actions we take in performing our duties, as well as the manner in which those actions are reviewed,” Berg said.