A closer look at a shooting death in Walla Walla
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WALLA WALLA, Wash. - A small town split over what really happened when Cesar Chavira was killed back in early May. We know he was shot five times. We also know he had broken into the New York Store on Isaacs. The big question? Was it self defense or murder?
Now the Walla Walla County Coroner and Prosecutor are asking for a jury to weigh in. Average citizens will be used to help determine whether the shooting death of a young man was justified. Franklin County's Coroner, Dan Blasdel will head up the hearing.
"I'm considered the expert in inquests because I've done more than anybody else in the state," he said.
By more he means he's done two in his entire 18 year career. That gives you an idea of just how rare these inquests are.
You may remember the inquest back in 2009 when a migrant worker had dumped her baby into a portable toilet. The inquest was to decide if the infant was dead before it was dumped.
Dan continues, "You couldn't write this, you know, for a TV show."
In the Walla Walla County inquest next week, a jury of registered voters will be convened. They aren't experts on death investigations. They will hear every detail of the case and make some decisions.
The jury for a death inquest is selected just like any other trial jury however, they are only responsible for answering five simple questions. They will have to determine the name of the person who died. They will also need to establish the date and time in which they died as well as the place cause and manner of death.
Eight jurors will be selected from a group of 40. Once all evidence is presented, the jury will then decide if store owner John Saul was justified in shooting Cesar Chavira to death.
What happens if the jury decides that the shooting was not justified?
Dan said, " Well then, then it would go to the prosecutor and the prosecutor would have to decide whether he wants to prosecute or not."
This may finally bring an answer to exactly what happened that fateful night in Walla Walla.
A limited number of seats are open to the public. Security will be tight that day as protesters are expected. The inquest should last no more than two days.
One final note on that case of the mother with the baby: the inquest determined the baby was alive when it was dumped.
She has never been prosecuted because she escaped from the country and has not been found.
Now the Walla Walla County Coroner and Prosecutor are asking for a jury to weigh in. Average citizens will be used to help determine whether the shooting death of a young man was justified. Franklin County's Coroner, Dan Blasdel will head up the hearing.
"I'm considered the expert in inquests because I've done more than anybody else in the state," he said.
By more he means he's done two in his entire 18 year career. That gives you an idea of just how rare these inquests are.
You may remember the inquest back in 2009 when a migrant worker had dumped her baby into a portable toilet. The inquest was to decide if the infant was dead before it was dumped.
Dan continues, "You couldn't write this, you know, for a TV show."
In the Walla Walla County inquest next week, a jury of registered voters will be convened. They aren't experts on death investigations. They will hear every detail of the case and make some decisions.
The jury for a death inquest is selected just like any other trial jury however, they are only responsible for answering five simple questions. They will have to determine the name of the person who died. They will also need to establish the date and time in which they died as well as the place cause and manner of death.
Eight jurors will be selected from a group of 40. Once all evidence is presented, the jury will then decide if store owner John Saul was justified in shooting Cesar Chavira to death.
What happens if the jury decides that the shooting was not justified?
Dan said, " Well then, then it would go to the prosecutor and the prosecutor would have to decide whether he wants to prosecute or not."
This may finally bring an answer to exactly what happened that fateful night in Walla Walla.
A limited number of seats are open to the public. Security will be tight that day as protesters are expected. The inquest should last no more than two days.
One final note on that case of the mother with the baby: the inquest determined the baby was alive when it was dumped.
She has never been prosecuted because she escaped from the country and has not been found.
The Sheriff and County Prosecutor have convened this very RARE Death Panel of Untrained Amateurs to decide if a White Store Owner can MURDER a Brown man after chasing him down the street; because he stole Silver Belt Buckles from his store.  This is because People like the Trash who commented here calling this Dead Man - 'Scum' and 'Gangster'  because he was a Brown Man will be able to toss the LAW aside.
 @Sandy Garcia I am going to make some wild speculation here... This meatsack would still be alive today if he had been at work or better yet at home with his family after a long day of honest work that night, instead of breaking into someones place of business and taking what was not his. Who cares if that "dirt bag of an owner" shot 1 round killing the POS or 7 rounds killing him? The thief and criminal is just as dead. You must have personally known the meatsack who got justice at from the loud end of a 12GA. So I ask you, what do you think made this guy think he had the right to enter someone else' property in the middle of the night to steal belt buckles? I would be slightly more understanding if he was stealing food for his hungry family or medicine for his sick kids but he wasn't. He was stealing sliver belt buckles. Like a coward he ran when he got caught and like a dog he was cut down in the street. Justice Served.
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So a guy breaks into your home or place of business or whatever and is shot dead as a result. He is shot inside a place he illegally entered with the intention of stealing something that was not his. The dead meat sack is a known gang member with a violent history. The home/business owner shoots the meatsack inside of his home/place of business in the middle of the night. Had he fired 1 or 2 rounds it would have been self defense or justified murder but because he fired 5 rounds our "justice" system is now treating the man who was simply protecting his property/livelihood/life as a criminal instead of celebrating that a citizen stood up to a bad guy and removed him from society.
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The owner of this business needs to be given a medal and the media should be printing a story about this in Spanish and English to serve as a warning to all the other scumbags who think they are entitled to take by force what is not theirs. If most break ins ended with the criminal full of holes and lying in a puddle of their own blood I am willing to guess the crime rate in the country would drop drastically in a matter of weeks. But no, the criminal has all the rites and my tax dollars get to pay a jury of people to decide what his name was, when he was shot, how he died and a bunch of other stupidity. What a twisted world we live in.
 @Freddy The man was found with Shotgun Blasts through his BACK and Out his CHEST across the Street from the Store NOT Inside - and he did not GO Anywhere are being ripped apart by the shotgun blasts.Â
 @Freddy I guess it is about whether we actually VALUE Human Life - Or if those are justÂ
WORDS. Â As I understand it the Store owner heard a break-in found some Silver Belt Buckles had been stolen then Chases this guy down a City Street blasting his Shotgun finally hitting and KILLING him across the street from his Store - MURDER not self Defense not even for a Zimmerman.Â
@David Higgins @Freddy He was a scumbag gang member one less piece of pond scum
Perhaps just  Technicality - But there were Five shots the Store Owner FIRED.  The Report was that 'only' Two SHOTGUN BLASTS actually tore through the fleeing man's BACK and Out his CHEST - He did not go Anywhere after that but DIED where they Found Him - Across the Street from the store and NOT Inside where Self Defense could be claimed. Â
WILL ALL I GOT TO SAY IS FOR ALL U HUNTERS OUT THERE I;M SURE U WOULD'NT KILL A DEER LIKE THAT! Y A PERSON????????????????
@Sandy Garcia Act like a gangster die like one