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LIMA — Police Sgt. Joe Chavalia, identified as the officer who fatally shot a mother of six during a SWAT drug raid, was one of 20 Lima police officers called before the grand jury this week, Chief Greg Garlock said.
Whether Chavalia testified or invoked his constitutional right against self incrimination, Garlock said he did not know. The chief also did not know how many of the 20 officers actually testified since it is common for more officers to be called than actually testify, he said.
Tarika Wilson was shot to death on Jan. 4 iwhen the Lima Police Department's SWAT team raided her Third Street home, using a "no-knock" search warrant. Her 1-year-old son, Sincere, also was shot but survived. Police were after her boyfriend, Anthony Terry, who was also inside the house. The Lima chapter of the NAACP called for the indictment of all officers involved in the Jan. 4 raid of a woman's home during which she was shot and killed by a city police officer.
"If I commit a crime, and five of my friends are with me, I'm getting charged, they're getting charged, bottom line," said Lima's NAACP President Jason Upthegrove.
Her boyfriend, Anthony Terry, was arrested on drug charges during the raid, but no public explanation has been given describing how Sgt. Joseph Chavalia came to fire his gun.
Garlock said he did not know whether Special Prosecutor Jeffrey Strausbaugh’s presentation of evidence to the grand jury is complete. Garlock said officers who were asked to testify Wednesday and Thursday included most if not all of the SWAT team members who conducted the raid. Also asked to testify were officers from the PACE unit conducting the drug investigation and officers who responded to the scene, he said.