Officer shoots man in Kasota parking lot

[Stradawhovious]

Justa,

You sure are hemorrhaging clout!

Yes, a bout with that clout spout will result in a clout drought no doubt.

(I tried to stop myself from posting that and failed miserably. I'm really, really sorry.)

[GURR]

I found this persons view interesting.

Mankato Free Press

Published July 29, 2009 03:27 pm -

Your View: Wait for facts before judging Waldron

In light of the recent letters concerning the shooting in Kasota, it is time for someone to respond in defense of deputy Todd Waldron.


One letter writer wrote that bad decisions were made and as a result trust has been lost in area law enforcement. Bad decisions were made and those bad decisions were made by Tyler Heilman.

While I feel for the Heilman family and their loss, there are facts that can’t be denied. As The Free Press printed, Heilman had an extensive criminal history. He had been charged 19 times in the past eight years. Three of those were felonies. One of those involved him hitting a man in the head with a beer bottle and then striking him with a pool cue while the man lay on the ground.

Waldron deserves better than the rumor and innuendo that is being spread around this area. He deserves the same rights as you and I, to be innocent of any wrongdoing unless proven otherwise.

Heilman made the decision to drive recklessly, endangering lives. Heilman fought with Waldron. At some point, Waldron made the decision to use deadly force.

We weren’t rolling around on the ground in Kasota with a convicted felon, Waldron was. Wait until all the facts are out before rushing to judge him.

[DeanC]

I'm just going to wait and see how this all pans out.

[Paul]

Source

LE CENTER, Minn. - A Le Sueur County sheriff's deputy won't be charged in the July shooting death of an unarmed Kasota man, a grand jury decided.

The grand jury deliberated for about two hours Friday night after hearing testimony in the death of Tyler Heilman. The 24-year-old was wearing only swimming trunks when Deputy Todd Waldron shot him twice in the chest during a July 20 arrest attempt.

Waldron was not in uniform, and Heilman's friends say he never identified himself as a deputy when he pulled over Heilman, who had been swimming at an apartment complex and allegedly speeding and driving erratically on the way home. The incident happened in Kasota, which is about 60 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

The grand jury had been asked to consider charges of second-degree intentional murder and second-degree unintentional murder against Waldron.

The grand jury's decision was unwelcome to Heilman's friends.

"It's ridiculous. I'm in shock right now," Amber Hagan said. "I don't feel like Tyler gets justice."

Assistant Anoka County Attorney Andrew Johnson, who handled the case, said some details about what happened have yet to emerge. He said some witnesses to the shootings gave accounts that differed from Heilman's friends.

Johnson told the Free Press of Mankato that he may release more details on what happened in a few weeks.

Heilman's family has said they are considering filing civil charges against Waldron.

[GURR]

Here's a report from FOX 12 Mankato

Report Released On Police Shooting That Killed Tyler Heilman

November 24, 2009 at 7:42pm Good evening, I'm Dion Cheney.And I'm Nicole Winters, thanks for joining us.A grand jury recently declined to indict a Le Sueur County deputy in the shooting death of a Kasota man...The Anoka County attorneys' office was in charge of the investigation into the shooting death of Tyler Heilman.Today the office released its report from the investigation.News 12's Erick Lind was in Anoka and has more.Dion, Nicole, two assistant county attorneys from Anoka say they held today's press conference because they feel family and friends deserve to know what happened, and the public needs to have a confidence in their law enforcement officials.The grand jury that convened on November 4th heard testimonies from 21 witnesses over the three days.Anoka County attorneys gave the jury two charges to consider in the end, 2nd degree intentional murder or 2nd degree unintentional murder.They also gave the jury the legal definition of authorized use of deadly force.After deliberating, the grand jury returned no bills on both charges.Anoka County assistant attorney Andrew Johnson says, "We give the grand jury the charges that we think could be applicable to the facts, and in this case it seems to us that it's murder or nothing."Investigators say sometime during the day on July 20th, Tyler Heilman had purchased a case of beer.Deputy Todd Waldron was in plain clothes on his way to investigate a separate matter at the apartments on South Ridgely in Kasota, when he spotted Heilman driving illegally up a grassy hill.He called for a marked squad car to investigate.When he reached the apartment complex he noticed Heilman's car in the lot and says he believed Heilman was signaling him to come over to his car.Waldron says as he approached he saw Heilman look down at his badge and gun several times.Waldron demanded to see Heilman's license, but Heilman refused, and a physical altercation began.Witnesses say Heilman had Waldron in a headlock and was choking him... consistent with marks investigators found on the officer's neck.Waldron noticed his gun and holster had come off, but doesn't know if they were knocked off by Heilman or had just fallen out.Waldron said his airflow was restricted, and feared for his life with his gun present if he lost consciousness.Deputy Waldron grabbed his gun and fired once with Heilman on top of him, and fired three more times while getting to his feet.After noticing Heilman bleeding Waldron ran to his vehicle and called for medical assistance.An autopsy performed showed two of the four rounds struck Heilman in the heart.Toxicology tests showed Heilman had a blood alcohol content of .095, over the legal limit.The test also showed the presence of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.Johnson says, "The only question the grand jury had before it was whether there was probable cause to believe Deputy Waldron's actions constituted murder. The jury answered that question by saying no. We will respect their decision. We hope others do the same."Anoka County attorneys say there will always be different opinions of what happened that day, but one thing that is clear, is that this was a horrible tragedy.Erick Lind, News 12.