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FBI looks at files on shooting by officer
TweetBy John W. GOODWIN JR.
YOUNGSTOWN
Police and the city prosecutor’s office say investigations into the shooting of an 18-year-old Austintown man by a city police officer have cleared the officer of any wrongdoing, but FBI agents want to take a closer look.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation this week received from the city all files associated with the investigation into the shooting of Cory Timmings in late August by Officer Phil Chance Jr.
Chance had been on leave immediately after the shooting but was put back on the job in September.
According to a police report, Timmings was shot in the parking lot of Pal Joey’s, a bar on East Midlothian Boulevard, at 2:36 a.m. Aug. 21. Chance was helping to break up a fight and disperse a large crowd at the bar when the shooting occurred.
The officer shouted to Timmings to lower the music coming from his car, the police report said. Rather than turn down the music, Timmings drove toward Chance, hitting the officer and forcing him up on the car’s hood, the report said.
According to the report, Timmings wouldn’t stop even though Chance, who rolled off to the driver’s side, told the 18-year-old man that he was under arrest.
Chance reached inside the car, trying to turn off the ignition. Timmings then increased his speed, dragging Chance, the report said.
The officer, who said he believed his life was in danger, pulled out his gun and fired a shot inside the car toward the driver. Timmings, shot in the upper back, sped away, but his car was pulled over by police on Lake Park Drive.
Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said the FBI has the files associated with the investigation but added he has no idea what the FBI is looking for in them. He said the police department conducted a thorough investigation, and he is standing by that investigation.
“I don’t know their intent. All I know is that we have turned over our investigative material and all documents to the FBI,” said Hughes. “They, meaning the FBI, did not tell us what they are doing.”
City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said the prosecutor’s office also looked into the matter and found that there were no inconsistencies in Chance’s report. He said the investigation revealed that Chance did nothing wrong in the shooting.
Charges against Timmings, however, are still a possibility.
Hughes said charges had not been filed against Timmings initially because of his injuries, police interviewing a lengthy list of witnesses, and police waiting for the results from lab work associated with the case.
Macejko said he is meeting with attorneys representing Timmings early next week.
“The possibility of charges is still out there,” Macejko said. “We are hopeful that criminal matters involving Mr. Timmings will be resolved next week.”
Comments
The only reason the FBI is investigating is because of the last name, Chance. And to me, that is discrimination.
Really?
"The only reason"
Really? hmmm...I can think of several more reasons why the FBI would be investigating. Maybe they're doing their *JOB* for one?
Really? hmmm
I can think of about forty murders and about one hundred shootings a year that are NOT investigated by the FBI each year in this County.But I guess thay would be OFF the payrole for those investigations.
So if I have the facts correctly, an officer discharges his weapon and strikes the suspect because he is in fear of losing his life after the suspect uses a car to cause bodily harm to the officer.
Now the FBI wants to investigate - why?
Officer Chance has been cleared of any wrongdoing. That should be the end of it. Is the FBI going to investigate all of the shootings where an officer is involved? Is something amiss?
You would hope that the fbi would have more important things to do. Then to spend our money investigating something twice. Maybe this is proof that they need there budget cut. Oblivious they have too much money to spend. They have to go find stupid things to spend it on investigating .
The FBI needs to mind their own business. This should be none of their concern.
Sorry, but shooting a person, should be scrutinized, even for a police officer.
The officers that previously investigated the shooting are collaborate allies of the shooter. In these instance, only the FBI should have been the investigator, not the work allies.
The departments investigators may have legitimately discovered through Officer Chance's report that he acted correctly in the matter but what everyone needs to understand is that the officer's report is a description of what "HE" perceived and not necessarily what the intention of the driver was.
For example, if Cory was really grabbed by the neck by the officer, "HE" may have perceived the officer was corrupt and looking for trouble. Cory could have reacted out of fear or reflex and his foot may have hit the pedal to escape what he perceived was a need for help.
Why is it o.k. for everyone to assume that the officer's perception of what was going on is more important than the citizens. Do we not all have civil rights?
If Phil Chance Jr. Had been killed by Cory Timmings would the FBI be involved ?
hillary
"Do we not all have civil rights?"
Civil rights? Why even put yourself in the situation.
1. Being at a bar. (whether he was drinking or not, no reason to be still at a bar at 2:38AM when your only 18.
2. Blasting your car stereo in a bar parking lot at 2:38AM when there are police there. (there is a noise ordinance. That is just called stupidity).
3. Not listening when a police officer tells you to lower your stereo. (Really is not that difficult to turn the knob).
4. Trying to drive away. (Why? First off he shouldn't have been there, second off, wait till the police leave or the crowd dissipates. Why bring attention to yourself).
5. Driving away. (Stupidity, you have a police officer that either you hit or tried to, a police officer telling you your under arrest, a police officer trying to get the keys from your ignition and your trying to drive away. Real smart decision there. I think a child would know better then that).
6. Talking on his cellphone. (Getting out of the car after he got shot, talking on his cellphone. Priceless.
When you jeopardize yourself, innocent people, the police, his passenger, what would you call that? Civil Rights?
But ever happened to not being in that position in the first place?
Life2short,
You really blow up being young. I know what your saying but there were many "good" kids at that bar that night. Cory was one. The "good" kids were out late also.
There is no excuse your being a young-dumb teenager but you are making excuses for a person who is in authority, who just broke up a fight that this boy was not involved in.
Again, I ask, why is it that some of you assume the perception of the officers' actions are more important the the citizens'?
And Stan, what if Cory died? Who would speak for him? We should then just assume a person is wrong and forget the rest? This seems to be the problem in society. People are just to busy, selfish, righteous, and down-right ignorant to question the things that do not sit right with them. The result is good people get hurt.
Could it be that the officer over-reacted in the heat of the moment? Why is this so hard to believe? What is so outrageous about that? He just broke up a fight.
A good kid could have died.
Hillary :
"A good kid could have died."
A good kid would have been home at that time and not looking for drunken excitement .
Hillary
"Again, I ask, why is it that some of you assume the perception of the officers' actions are more important the the citizens'? "
Because who else is going to take control of a situation? Who is going to apply discipline in a uncontrolled environment? If the "good" kids were so good, why was the police involved? What is the problem with just listening to a officers request? You listen, case closed, everyone goes home, no problems. If the police can't "police" the area without fear in any given situation they have to react to protect themselves (they are human, they do have families to provide for) and the innocent people all around, they why have the police around? Don't make sense.
"A good kid could have died."
A good officer could have died. Innocent people could have died (what if the car swerved out of control in the crowd), a car (maybe with a family in it) coming down Midlothian could have got killed by Corey, a pedestrian just walking, and on and on. All because a "good" kid couldn't listen? Real fair huh?
Stan,
Good kids go to bars and stay out late.
Lifes2short,
This would be why we have the FBI investigating the matter.