Coroner's inquest into shooting death [of gangbanger by storeowner] underway

KEPR ^ | Aug 8, 2012 | Frances Watson

[kevcol]

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - "Was this necessary? Was his death necessary for breaking in," asked Cesar Chavira's uncle, Arturo Alejandre.

Those questions will be for a jury to decide. The coroner ordered a closer look into the May 4th shooting at the New York Store in Walla Walla.

At issue? Was store owner John Saul justified in shooting Cesar Chavira five times as he burglarized Saul's store. Chavira's family has awaited this inquest for months. This issue that has divided the town.

Chavira's mother, Camerna Alejandre said, "We expected something to happen in the beginning you know, we didn't get no results. They've been very very unfair with us. Sometimes, they don't want to talk about it. They just hide."

Dismissed juror David Driftmeyer told KEPR most of the town back's Saul's decision to shoot.

"I don't think there's any doubt on how this case is going to come out," he said.

Franklin County Coroner Dan Blasdel was called in to head up the inquest. It began with a chronology of the night.

The first witness was the first officer who arrived on the scene. He testified that he arrived to find the Chavira face down on Isaacs Street. Items taken from the store were in a backpack nearby.

Most seats open to the public were filled by Chavira's family. His mother silently prayed throughout the court proceedings.

Camerna continued, "I do need justice for my son because I know he pay his mistake really bad, who's going to pay for his death."

Presentation of the evidence and witness testimony will continue through midday Thursday. The jury will then go behind closed doors to deliberate.

The jury has unlimited time to review the case and does not have to come to a unanimous decision on whether the shooting was justified. Just a majority vote is required.

Franklin County's coroner was asked to be the judge in the case because he is considered the expert in the state. He's been a part of just two other inquests in his career. That's more than anyone else.

[kevcol]

Here is a previous FR article from May for more background.

According to his lawyer, a Walla Walla store owner who shot and killed a known gang member .... came out to the front of the store early Friday morning after he heard the sound of glass breaking.

Saul, who lives on the property on Isaacs Avenue, confronted Cesar Chavira, 22, and told him to "hold it".

Michael Hubbard, Saul's lawyer, told KAPP/KVEW Chavira said "I'm gonna kill you", and Saul responded by shooting him with his shotgun.

Then, "community organizers" from California got involved, turned it into a racial event, and orchestrated protests and demanded prosecution.

[txrefugee]

Papers, please....

[abercrombie_guy_38]

“Was this necessary? Was his death necessary for breaking in,” asked Cesar Chavira’s uncle, Arturo Alejandre.

---

If he didn’t commit a crime and break into a private dwelling, he’d still be alive

[JCG]

'Nuff said...

----

Send treats to the troops...
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[Pollster1]

Was store owner John Saul justified in shooting Cesar Chavira five times as he burglarized Saul's store.

Apparently this was five shots with a shotgun. Legally justified? Yes, if he was loaded with birdshot and the violent criminal still posed an immediate danger after the first four shots. Morally justified? Whether it was slugs, buckshot, birdshot, or rock salt, once this thug broke in and stole private property, the store owner was doing a good deed by protecting the community. Morally, the best excuse for shooting this predator five times is if the owner didn't have six shells loaded.

[conservaterian]

Sounds to me it’s a shame the whole family wasn’t in on the break-in. Good shoot storeowner.

[Pontiac]

Camerna continued, "I do need justice for my son because I know he pay his mistake really bad, who's going to pay for his death."

Who will pay for his death. Well if there is justice; he will before the final judge, the Lord God.

[Venturer]

His mother silently prayed throughout the court proceedings.

Maybe she should have taught the kid to pray.
What is she praying for? So that they hang a man protecting his property?

If he had been home he wouldn’t have been shot.

[cableguymn]

I was thinking the same thing.. I like how she is trying to project fault for her kid breaking in to the establishment and his resulting punishment for messing with the wrong shop keeper.

I don’t know the details, but something likely tripped in the store owners head that indicated he should shoot first and ask questions second.

Was her sweet, innocent, hard working (/s) boy packing? did he have a visible weapon?

[ZX12R]

Was store owner John Saul justified in shooting Cesar Chavira five times as he burglarized Saul's store.

Of course he was. End of story. Civilization thanks you, John Saul.

[VeniVidiVici]

I can’t believe Washington is still screwing around with this.

This is not an inquest, it’s an inquisition.

[Condor51]

Chavira said "I'm gonna kill you"

Hmmm?? I kinda think that's the wrong thing to say to a guy whose pointing a Shotgun at you. Especially after you just broke into his store -- and HOME. I also think that if Saul would have let this guy 'gusano' go, or called the cops and Chavira was arrested. Saul would have been dead within 24 hours.

Because as soon as this 'pieza de heces' made Bail, Chavira and his 'amigos' would have gone straight back to Saul's place and wasted him.

[Frank_2001]

What are those people even DOING in Walla Walla, WA? Did the Empire of Aztlan ever reach THAT far north?/s;)

[TYVets]

Chavira said "I'm gonna kill you"

The intelligent reply to the perp is:

center mass, pull trigger.

Someone is wasting the taxpayers money. The only thing needed was a body bag to carry out the trash.

[Yollopoliuhqui]

“I’m going to kill you” is totally the wrong thing to say and was probably not said at all. But it justifies pulling the trigger in court. What range we talking about? Was the perp hit 5 times? Where and in what sequence? What kind of shotgun? These questions are probably why the DA is holding this case up to the light of logic. If it was a pump, I think the guy was on the ground by the time shot #3 hit him.

[Red in Blue PA]

The family of the perp should have to reimburse the store owner for his used ammo.

[Condor51]

Don't know most of those details but it appears from others comments and links that Saul's shotgun was a Mossberg 550 Pump. Ammo and distance not mentioned.

But if is was close enough to hear regular speech, "I'm gonna kill you" (Normal conversation at 3': 60-65dB), it was close enough to be an imminent threat.

[paul51]

I wouldn't shoot some punkass at 50 yards fleeing after a petty theft. With that said, if I was on the panel I'd vote in favor of the shooter.