No Charges Against Officers In Fatal Day Care Shooting
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Anoka County Attorney's Office says there will be no charges against two Ramsey Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Chaz Michael Havenor.
On Aug. 28, 2014, the two officers answered a call of a suspicious car in the parking lot of The Learning Lodge, on the 6100 block of 157th Lane Northwest.
Authorities say the driver of the car randomly selected the parking lot because he and two other occupants were discussing how to obtain gas money. One of the occupants was Havenor.
When Havenor was asked to get out of the car, he ran from the scene and officers pursued on foot. After officers repeatedly yelled at him to stop, Havenor turned toward them, extended his right arm and pointed a black pistol at them from just a few feet away. When he refused to drop the gun, officers drew their weapons and fired multiple shots at Havenor.
Havenor was then taken to Mercy Hospital where he died a short time later from multiple gunshots.
No children, day care staff or officers were hurt. The day-care center was put on lockdown, and parents left work early to pick up their children.
The two officers involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave. They are identified as nine-year veteran Jerad Dixon and Richard Webb, a seven-year member of the department.
An investigation revealed that Havenor's pistol was loaded with one round in the chamber at the time of the incident. A toxicology report showed presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine in his blood.
The attorney's office says prosecutors reviewed all the evidence and concluded Dixon and Webb were in imminent danger and were justified under the law in using their weapons.
"It is unfortunate and regrettable that a routine police matter became so dangerous and then turned fatal," Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo said.
The attorney's office added that all witnesses' statements and surveillance video from the day care were consistent with the officers' accounts of the incident.