LPD IDENTIFIES OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR FATAL SHOOTING

LIMA - After the name of the Lima Police Department SWAT team officer
responsible for his sister's death was released Wednesday, Ivory
Austin said the biggest question he wants answered is why it happened.

The officer, Sgt. Joe Chavalia, is the same officer who gave the
command to use deadly force during the department's last fatal
shooting in 2000 at the Lima Rescue Home. On Friday, Chavalia was the
SWAT team officer who fired the fatal shots that killed 26-year-old
Tarika Wilson during a drug raid at 218 E. Third St.

Wilson was shot twice in the torso. Wilson's 1-year-old son, Sincere,
also was shot in the shoulder and hand.

Chavalia, 52, is a 31-year veteran of the department and has served on
the SWAT team for 22 years. He is the former commander of the team but
lost that title when another officer, Chip Protsman, was promoted to
lieutenant, giving him the higher rank.

Chavalia remains on administrative leave as standard procedure
following an officer-involved shooting. Chavalia, whose job assignment
before the shooting was the second-shift supervisor, has the
third-most seniority, behind Chief Greg Garlock and Maj. Richard
Shade, according to police records.

Austin said he doesn't know Chavalia.

"This is just the start now. Now I want to know why," he
said.

Police have yet to sit down with Austin and his family to tell them
what happened, Austin said.

Lima 6th Ward Councilman Derry Glenn declined to comment.

Police officials have not released details about the shooting, other
than to say it happened during a drug raid. Wilson's shooting has
created an outcry in the city's black community over the death of the
young black mother at the hands of a police officer.

Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann will be in Lima on Wednesday to talk
about the shooting.

Police were raiding the house looking for Anthony Terry, 31, with whom
they have had other run-ins with in the past, including an incident in
which he tried to use a weapon against another police officer more
than 10 years ago, police said.

Terry also has a criminal past that has sent him to
prison.

The raid was deemed "high-risk" because of various circumstances,
including the potential that children might be in the house. Wilson's
six children were inside along with her and Terry.

During the fatal shooing at the Lima Rescue Home on Aug. 23, 2000,
Chavalia gave the command to Officer Kelly Ricker to fire a fatal shot
after he saw a knife in Michael Hildebrandt's hand and other nonlethal
attempts to incapacitate Hildebrandt failed. Hildebrandt reportedly
suffered from mental illness.

That shooting ended a six-hour standoff with police. It also occurred
during a tense situation that included a fire set by Hildebrandt
burning inside the 8-foot-by-10-foot room.

During that shooting, Chavalia fired at least four rounds of nonlethal
beanbags, trying to incapacitate Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt, who was
white and clothed only in underwear and a cord wrapped around his
waist, continued to reach for his side, where it was believed he had a
knife.

Chavalia ran out of beanbags, and Hildebrand was spotted with the
knife.

"At that point, he yelled for Officer Ricker to shoot, and he yelled
knife," according to a police report.

An Allen County grand jury reviewed the fatal shooting and cleared
Chavalia and Ricker of criminal charges. Both men also were cleared by
the U.S. Department of Justice, who investigated Hildebrandt's death
and whether officers violated his civil rights. An internal police
investigation found Chavalia and Ricker did not violate the
department's use-of-force policy.

Following the 2000 incident, The Lima News reviewed Chavalia's
personnel file, which included praise and recognition for his work
with the SWAT team.

"These operations are very prone to involve violent individuals. The
sergeant displays very good judgment in the leadership of his team for
the safe and successful completion of the operations," according to an
efficiency report from 1992.

Chavalia also has taken numerous courses on self-defense and tactics
on high-stress and dangerous situations, the records said at the time.

He also was praised for his community service, including raising money
and clothing donations for flood victims in Des Moines, Iowa. He drove
the items to Iowa on his own time in his own car, records reported.