Article published August 06, 2008
Civil rights charges possible in Lima police shootings
BLADE STAFF
LIMA, OHIO — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday it will consider civil-rights charges against the Lima police officer who shot and killed an unarmed city woman seven months ago during a drug raid in her home.
Along with shooting Tarika Wilson, the shots fired by Sgt. Joseph Chavalia wounded the woman’s 13-month-old son, Sincere Wilson, whom she was holding. The infant was struck in the shoulder and hand, requiring a finger amputation.
The Jan. 4 shooting took place in front of Wilson’s five other children, who were hiding with their mother and baby brother in an upstairs bedroom during the raid.
An all-white Allen County Common Pleas Court jury on Monday found Sergeant Chavalia not guilty of misdemeanor negligent homicide and negligent assault charges. The police officer is white; Wilson was black.
Shortly after the shootings, Lima city officials asked the FBI to investigate possible civil rights violations. Special Agent Spokesman Scott Wilson said Wednesday that the agency had forwarded its findings to the Justice Department.
Justice Department Spokesman Jamie Pais said the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office have been monitoring the state’s prosecution of the case since it began.
"Following the review of all the evidence, [we’ll] take appropriate action if the evidence indicates a prosecutable violation of federal criminal civil rights statutes," she said.
Wilson’s mother, Darla Jennings, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Sergeant Chavalia and the city of Lima for what her attorneys called Wilson’s "negligent" shooting.
During a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Attorney Derek Sells called for charges to be filed against the police officer.
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