By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news
Centralia Police Department Chief Bob Berg announced yesterday Officer Ruben Ramirez would be returned to normal patrol duties following a finding by a use of force review board that the officer acted appropriately when he shot and killed a suspect last month.
Berg said in a news release he remained confident since the beginning, the 15-year veteran of the department acted properly and used sound tactics in accordance with policies and procedures.
Lobo
“I am thankful that he was not hurt and am confident that he will continue his excellent law enforcement service to the residents of our community,” Berg stated. “I am also pleased and grateful that his partner, Police Service Dog Lobo, was with him that day. I truly believe that the K-9 was instrumental in saving the life of Officer Ramirez.”
It was the morning of June 29 and police were called to a shoplifting incident a the Chevron service station on the corner of South Tower Avenue and East Cherry Street. Ramirez contacted two individuals, and released his K-9 partner when 43-year-old Paul M. Edmundson pulled away from him, according to the Lewis County prosecutor’s summary of the investigation.
As the two men and the German Shepherd fought on the ground, Ramirez detected Edmundson began pulling a handgun from beneath his clothing, backed up and told him to drop it and after hearing a “click”, fired one shot, the summary of the outside investigation concluded.
Edmundson, who was going by the name Christopher Matthews didn’t steal the burritos, but Ramirez recognized the name on his identification as a suspect in an assault two days earlier, according to the investigation.
Edmundson had arrived to Centralia about a month earlier and was staying with his girlfriend Pepper Tree Motel and RV Park.
The investigative team of detectives from surrounding police agencies was headed up by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ben Elkins. Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer concluded from their reports last week Ramirez’s use of deadly force was justified.
An internal use-of-force review board then convened and made its recommendation to the chief of police.
Berg said the panel included chiefs from Tumwater and Chehalis, a chief deputy from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, a Centralia police officer selected by Ramirez and a police commander from the Centralia Police Department.
Centralia police’s initial description of the events included Lobo grabbing the suspect’s arm preventing him from pulling his hand out of his pocket, but then briefly releasing his hold and then as Edmundson pulled out the handgun, biting onto his arm again.
It’s the second time this year a Centralia officer has shot and killed someone. In February, an officer fired eight shots at a 48-year-old Westport man staying at the Lakeview Inn after a night time encounter in a nearby residential neighborhood when the man refused to drop a knife. He too was cleared.
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For background, read “Centralia officer cleared in deadly bank parking lot shooting” from Tuesday July 22, 2014, here
You are 100% correct sunshine.
I have heard this debate over the shoot to kill several times with several different folks. Police officers are trained to shoot at the center mass. There is a reason for this. We sit at home safely in our homes and we blithely make these judgements on what or how it should have been handled . While we do that we have lots and lots and lots of TIME . We do not have to make these decisions in a split second , a policeman does. We in our cozy chairs do not have to take the safety of innocent bystanders into consideration , nor do we have to wonder if a shot to the leg or arm will save a life . They do , and they have to make that call right fucking now. They do not have the TIME to decide all that crap. They do not do this lightly , they sure know the minute they shoot , life as they know it will end . Either for them or someone but inevitably their own life has just hit the crapper for sure. Every move they have ever made will come under scrutiny. It does not matter how good of record they have or how many lives they might have saved , it is all for naught. Even if they put down some POS who drew down on them. Then there is the factor of one other little thing, upholding the law. They are supposed to protect that too. That does not seem to matter to some. I have noticed that a lot of folks these days feel like they are entitled to do or take whatever they want. What they do not seem to want is a JOB or responsibility or even their own toilet. So we are just supposed to hand what we work hard for over to them. I hear all about how horrible the Lewis Co. law enforcement is. I have not encountered that. What I will tell you after living here for over 50 years is that when I am in trouble I call them first . I am sure as in any walk of life policemen have their share of rotten apples but , I am still grateful to be able to call them anytime night or day. They have a hard job with little pay , if they sometimes have a bad attitude well , they see us at our worse and they still come and put their lives ont the line , and I still call them first. Should a man have died for a fucking Burrito ? Of course not ,but HE , not the cop, made that decision to pull a gun on a 15 year veteran policeman and that policeman upheld the law. Rant over , let it RIP !!!
Altruisms are nice, Melody, but what would you have done differently if that had been YOU fighting with someone who reached for a gun with the intent of shooting you? Passivity may have its place, but this wasn’t one of them.
Think it could have been handled differently, police didn’t have to shoot to kill!
BeKind , So you believe that homeless people have a right to just take whatever they want , and we should be kind and let them??? Really , so where does it stop ? Do the store clerks just look the other way? We have places like food banks where food is free . He went into a store intending to steal , Thou shalt not Steal . The store clerk was not armed . He called the cops because he SELLS food not gives it away. It is a terrible thing to be shot for this BUT he was willing to shoot the cop over a Burrito , so how is he better? Should the cop have just been kind and let the thief shoot him ? Your reasoning is kind of skewed .
Correct Ron Green…or better yet, he could have just PAID for the burrito. What a concept!!
BeKind equals BeStupid in this case. If you don’t want negative attention from law enforcement don’t put yourself in those situations. No excuses, all Edmundson would have had to do to be alive today was comply, simple, quick, answer the questions asked by the officer, tell the truth and move on. It’s really not any more difficult than that…
It is obvious that BeKind is either a troll or has fried too many brain cells because he is not even making any sense what so ever.
Whatever. He stole a burrito, “pulled away” from the officer, and got murdered.
I thought all you IRA members think we should all be carrying firearms anyway. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that we are all strapped. If the officer would’ve had better grip strength, maybe the man wouldn’t be dead. My suggestion is wrist curls.
Jesus would’ve let him have the burrito.
I agree with M.Morgan.
@BeKind. Why don’t we all hold hands around the campfire and sing Kumbaya? That will teach the bad guys to play nice with others…
Exactly which verbal deescalation skills do you use with an armed felon? Hand to hand combat with an armed felon is a semi auto handgun in your hand. Officer Ramirez fired only one well aimed shot. Those who criticize officers who fire multiple shots should be praising him.
Yes, he will be judged. However, Jesus warned, “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged, since you will be judged in the same judgment that you make, and you will be measured by the same standard you apply.” This does not mean we cannot condemn clearly immoral behavior, but it does warn us that only God will decide on our final fate.
@BeKind. You’re an idiot.
Good, we need more weak police officers who need a German Shepherd and a gun to handle these X-Men superhero homeless guys. How about some verbal deescalation skills and hand to hand combat training for this hero before he returns to the mean streets of Centralia?
I hope these officers realize that they will be judged when they leave this world. It pays to be nice to people while we are here.