Is our justice system broken? Specifically, in the prosecutor’s office.
Over a year ago, a Portland man and his dog were shot and killed while hiking down a trail in Lewis County. This case has been well-reported in our local and regional news, with lots of finger-pointing. While it’s not 100% clear what happened between the shooting and now, it’s clear who shot and killed the two victims.
The police recovered the dead body, handgun, the bullet and a statement from the young man who fired the fatal round, admitting he did, in fact, shoot the victim. No one disagrees on who shot the victim. No one disagrees that the shooter left the scene of the incident, continued his overnight hike, and returned home the next day without attempting to give aid to the victim or calling 911 to report it or ask for help.
The person of interest apparently claims he did not realize he was shooting a human being at the time he pulled the trigger. Only that he saw a set of eyes in the dark and was concerned for his safety, so he shot at the unknown eyes. It turns out the eyes belonged to the little dog that the victim was holding in his arms. His actions caused the death of a man and his dog. He then saw the dying victim on the ground and went on about his hike.
Our laws are very clear on the use of deadly force and on who and when someone can have a handgun and shoot it. Those laws all seem to be violated. It’s been said the investigative procedure at the crime scene may have been less than textbook. Mistakes may have been made by law enforcement. Those mistakes do not change the facts of this case.
Twice our sheriff has sent recommendations to our prosecutor requesting charges be filed against the shooter. Twice our prosecutor has declined to file any charges. From what I understand, the prosecutor says he won’t file because of the crime scene investigation procedures. While it would be nice to have a perfect crime scene investigation, like on TV, that fact alone doesn’t warrant a free walk for the shooter. Often in murder cases, no one even knows where it happened, but the case is still taken to court. In this case, no one’s rights were violated. Facts were not changed.
A letter, made public, from the prosecutor to the sheriff may shed some light. It indicates hard feelings toward the sheriff by the prosecutor over other matters. Is that in play now?
The Chronicle reported this week, a man was arrested and booked, facing murder charges stemming from the death of his friend by a drug overdose in a motel room. The suspect was caught trying to sneak out of the motel where his friend died, and then he lied to the cops about knowing anything. He’s not accused of causing the death, just not wanting to stick around and talk to the cops about it. Is this justice?
Bradd Reynolds
Chehalis
