On Wednesday, Adna resident Phillip A. Pinotti was dealt a light sentence of time served after drawing gunfire from a Centralia Municipal Court officer while fleeing arrest in December.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office has been forthright in its handling of the case, with Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer explaining that the evidence showed Pinotti was attempting to flee the scene, not strike the officer with his vehicle.
He was originally charged with first-degree assault, an allegation that carries a sentence of up to life in prison and implies an intent to cause great bodily harm.
The charge was later reduced to misdemeanor obstructing after further investigation.
Taken together, the facts are disconcerting.
To an outside observer, it seems the prosecutor’s office has ruled there was no intent by Pinotti to cause harm, but the officer — Steve Howard — was still acting lawfully when he fired his weapon.
There have been indications that perhaps he was tapping on the window when the weapon discharged, an idea that is even more alarming when considering public safety in downtown Centralia where the incident took place.
Meyer says Howard “reacted within the authority of the law.”
It remains to be seen whether he followed policies and procedures of the Centralia Police Department.
An internal use of force board is currently examining the incident. As previously reported, the five-person panel will consist of Centralia police personnel, including Commander Jim Rich and Commander David Ross, two outside law enforcement agency personnel and Howard’s peer representative.
The board will present findings, but Centralia Police Chief Bob Berg will ultimately make the final determination.
It will be difficult to determine the facts when two versions of events are proposed, one by a 30-year veteran of the law and another by a 22-year-old man with a criminal history that seems disproportionate to his age.
In this case, it seems Pinotti’s version should still be taken seriously, considering the decision of the prosecutor’s office.
Anytime a firearm is discharged by a law enforcement officer, great efforts are made to determine whether it was justified.
This time, the man who drew gunfire has now been dealt a veritable slap on the wrist for the crime after initially facing a potentially long prison sentence.
It’s a decision that seems to imply the officer’s account was not completely accurate.
We await the findings of the review board.
Whatever the conclusion, we hope the matter is explained thoroughly and honestly to residents who are asking for answers.
