imported post
A new article about this was published tonight, but fair warning, it will just make you mad.
The police department has apparently learned nothing, and is now promising to put their "bitter feelings in a lock box", so that they can continue to do their jobs. And a Chesapeake Detective, rather than accept any portion of blame for the SWAT/military tactics, chooses instead to blame laws against marijuana. "We don't right [sic] the laws, we enforce them and we can't be blamed for doing our jobs and enforcing laws that someone else passed," said Crimmins.
Simply amazing. I really do hope that this conviction gets thrown out on appeal. Even then, I still don't think they will learn.
TFred
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_wavy_ryan_frederick_free_20090205
Ryan Frederick to be free in 7 1/2 yrs.
Mary Kay Mallonee
CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Ryan Frederick, who has been convicted by a jury of voluntary manslaughter in the killing of Chesapeake Police Officer Jarrod Shivers, will be a free man 7 1/2 years from now, according to special prosecutor Paul Ebert.
Ebert, who is back at his Northern Virginia office, told WAVY.com Frederick, by law only has to serve 85% of his sentence, which means he will serve a total of 8 1/2 years in prison.
Also, Frederick will get credit for the year he has been in jail awaiting trial, which means Frederick will be set free in 7 1/2 years, according to Ebert.
"I am very disappointed in the jury's verdict. I really thought they were going to find 2nd degree murder," said Ebert. "Detective Jarrod Shivers lost his life for no reason."
Wednesday a Chesapeake jury refused to convict Frederick of capital murder and instead found him guilty of a lesser charge, voluntary manslaughter and simple possesion of marijuana.
Detective Shivers and a team of undercover narcotics detectives went to Frederick's house on January 17, 2008 to search for a marijuana growing operation based on information from a confidential informant. Frederick shot and killed Detective Shivers as Shivers attempted to bust through his front door.
Many police officers around Hampton Roads say they are very disappointed, and concerned with the jury's verdict.
"This verdict puts the lives of police officers in jeopardy," said Detective Jack Crimmins, president of the Chesapeake Coalition of Police.
"There are a lot of disturbed people out there who would take a chance at killing a police officer for only 10 years in prison ," said Crimmins. "Mr. Frederick should be in prison for the rest of his life."
Crimmins said police officers are always there for the community when needed.
"And when something happens to one of us, we ask the community to come to our aid and when Jarrod Shivers was murdered we asked the community to come to the aid of our police officers and Jarrod's family and they failed us. So, there is some bitterness."
Crimmins quickly added that any lingering bitterness on the part of local police officers will never stop them from protecting and serving the people of Hampton Roads.
"We are able to put those bitter feelings in a lock box and go out and do our jobs and help people. But, I don't think anyone can go to Jarrod's three children right now and tell them, 'The trial is over, you have closure now.' There is no closure. This wound will be open forever."
As for widespread criticism of Chesapeake Police that they should not have put the lives of the officers or Ryan Frederick in jeopardy "over a little bit of marijuana," Detective Crimmins asks citizens to remember, police officers do not make the laws.
"We don't right the laws, we enforce them and we can't be blamed for doing our jobs and enforcing laws that someone else passed," said Crimmins.
Crimmins said if the community does not believe marijuana is serious enough to warrant police action, then the community should push their lawmakers to change the law. Until then, he said, police officers are hired to, sworn to enforce the laws on the books, they can't pick and choose which ones they believe are worth enforcing.
"We have to take risks. It's the nature of our job," said Crimmins.
Prosecutor Ebert voiced great support for the police as well.
"Police got a bad wrap from the public when they did nothing more than their job," said Ebert. "They acted professionally that night and absolutely by the book."
Ebert went on to tell WAVY.com, "In some parts of the country Mr. Frederick would be dead now because police would not have tolerated losing one of their own. But, these fellas showed a lot of restraint that night I thought."
Ebert said it would have been understandable if, on that night, the officers standing right behind Detective Shivers as he was fired upon, returned fire and shot Frederick.
"Police need more support from the community, but I don't know how they could have been more careful than they were in this case," said Ebert.
The judge on Ryan Frederick's case is set to make a final ruling on Frederick's sentence in May.
