DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 1997            TAG: 9711180284

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEWIS KRAUSKOPF, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   80 lines

FOUR OFFICERS ARE CLEARED IN SHOOTING OF WOMAN

The Police Department cleared four officers Monday in the shooting of a Fernwood Shores woman, saying they had violated no policies, procedures or training practices.

Carlett Karim of the 200 block of Shore Side Drive was shot twice and wounded on Aug. 22 after cutting two officers with a steak knife and threatening a third, according to police reports.

Some Fernwood Shores residents said that the officers overreacted, while the Chesapeake chapter of the NAACP raised concerns that race may have played a role in the shooting and said that it wouldn't be satisfied until the incident had been investigated by an agency outside the city.

Police Chief Richard A. Justice said Monday he hoped the incident would not undermine citizens' support of the department.

``It is important to re-establish the community support and faith in the Police Department,'' Justice said. ``I have feelings for everyone involved.''

Justice said Monday that a committee of Chesapeake citizens and law enforcement officials will be formed to determine whether the department should change any current procedures regarding the use of force.

One change that will be considered is more widespread use of a gun that fires a one-square-inch bean bag at assailants to stun them. An officer carrying the weapon was on his way to the scene of the Fernwood Shores shooting but arrived minutes after Karim was shot, Justice said.

Members of the NAACP met Monday with Justice, Mayor William E. Ward, City Manager John L. Pazour and Deputy City Manager Clarence V. Cuffee.

``We're not satisfied with the report,'' March Cromuel, president of the organization's Chesapeake chapter, said after the meeting.

Cromuel said the NAACP is waiting to meet with FBI officials about the possibility of another investigation.

The officer who shot Karim has been back on full duty for a week, Justice said. He would not name the officer.

``I know he and his family have gone through a lot,'' Justice said.

According to police reports, the officers at the scene were V.L. Blake, C.F. Esslinger, L.K. Goldsmith and C.D. Wittstruck, all of whom were off duty Monday.

The department's ruling would appear to end the city's inquiries into the incident. In September, Commonwealth's Attorney Larry D. Willis said that he wouldn't prosecute any of the officers in the shooting.

The Police Department investigation was an administrative review and would not have involved criminal charges. Conducted by the Internal Affairs Division, the inquiry involved interviews with more than 40 people and included all the material in the criminal investigation, Justice said.

Police Spokesman Dave Hughes said the police investigation was not completed until nearly three months after the incident occurred because the department wanted to be as thorough as possible.

``The officer made every effort to retreat and stay out of harm's way,'' the Police Department statement said. ``His escape was blocked by a vehicle. With nowhere to turn, the officer fired twice, striking the assailant both times.

``The events of this incident occurred very rapidly, and the officer's reactions became an individual judgment call requiring a split-second decision,'' the statement read.

That description differed from accounts of the incident given by Fernwood Shores residents. Some witnesses have said that Karim never threatened or advanced toward the officers, but merely stumbled toward them.

Residents have also questioned why other methods - such as pepper spray or a baton - weren't used instead of a gun. Justice said that although the officers were in compliance with the department's policies regarding use of force, that he has begun a review of those policies.

All four officers have been undergoing individual and group counseling since the incident, Justice said.

Officer Michael A. Rushak, president of the Chesapeake Fraternal Order of Police, said that the investigation brought closure to the incident.

``We were behind the officer and the other officers at the scene from the beginning,'' Rushak said. ``This is like the icing on the cake. Where else can you go?''

Meanwhile, a preliminary hearing for Karim, who is charged with malicious wounding, is scheduled for Jan. 14. ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

Chief Richard Justice hopes support for the police will not be

undermined. KEYWORDS: SHOOTING CHESAPEAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT

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