GRAND JURY CLEARS OFFICER

Shooting Was Proper Use Of Force, Chief Says

FORT WORTH - An Arlington police officer who fatally shot a 48-year-old
Texarkana man during a January drug raid was cleared of any wrongdoing by a
Tarrant County grand jury on Monday.

Officer Blane Shaw, 38, was no-billed in the death of Raymond J. Sanchez,
who was shot once in the chest Jan. 26.

Investigators contended that Mr. Sanchez tried to run over officers while
fleeing police after his passenger was arrested for allegedly selling drugs
to an undercover officer.

Gabriel Sanchez of Texarkana, the victim's son, declined to comment on the
grand jury's decision Monday. Officer Shaw could not be reached for
comment Monday. Richard Carter, the officer's attorney, said his client is
pleased with the grand jury's decision.

"He has felt from the beginning that what he did, although unfortunate, was
justified and necessary and, of course, the internal affairs investigation
also showed that what he did was proper," Mr. Carter said. "He did what he
was trained to do and as he had a duty to do. There were no alternatives.

"The only other thing he could have done would have been to allow one or
more officers to be in the path of that heavy piece of metal, that
truck. Whether that truck went sideways, forward or back, one of the
officers would have been hit."

Officer Shaw, a member of the department's tactical unit, was also cleared
by an internal affairs investigation on March 27. Authorities said the two
investigations have no bearing on one another.

Police Chief Theron Bowman said Monday the grand jury decision is a
vindication of Officer Shaw's actions.

"Officer Shaw acted properly in his use of force," the chief said. "Police
officers face a tremendous amount of scrutiny for every act of force they
engage in. We would prefer that police officers never be forced to use any
kind of force, but sometimes it is necessary.

"When it is necessary, we always investigate, and where deadly force is
used, we leave no stones unturned."

The Deadly Force Review Board, made up of various members of the
department, will examine police policies and training techniques - a
routine response to every officer-involved shooting.

"They will look to see if there are any training issues or anything that
could be learned from the incident," Mr. Carter said. Reports from
witnesses - mostly law enforcement officers involved in the drug raid -
stated that the lives of at least two officers and one suspect were in
danger when Officer Shaw fired the single fatal shot, police said.

Mr. Sanchez, the father of four adult children, began to drive away from
the Kwik Kar Wash in the 4800 block of Sublett Road after his passenger,
Joey Michael Torres, was arrested during the undercover drug raid, police said.

Officer Shaw and other members of the tactical team served as back up as
members of the Southeast Narcotics Task Force sold a pound of
methamphetamines to Mr. Torres, police said.

Officer Shaw fired one shot from his department-issued 9-mm handgun,
striking Mr. Sanchez, police said. No weapon or additional narcotics were
found in the truck, police said.

Toxicology results showed that Mr. Sanchez had amphetamines and
methamphetamines in his system, although medical professionals have said he
may have ingested only one of the narcotics and the other could be a
by-product.

Because the narcotics were found in the blood and urine of Mr. Sanchez,
medical professionals have said he was high on the drugs at the time of the
shooting.

Officer Shaw has received 23 commendations and one written reprimand during
his five years on the force.