Published: July 11, 2009 08:28 pm         

TRIBUNE-STAR EDITORIAL: A nightmare on South Ninth Street

Confrontation had a sad, tragic ending

TERRE HAUTE — The tragic and violent death of 48-year-old Rick Evans is sure to haunt all involved for a long, long time. Without a doubt, family, friends, neighbors and the police officers who responded to complaints about Evans will always wish that things had turned out differently.

Evans’ drunken behavior last Sunday evening created a disturbance in his South Ninth Street neighborhood. Police initially responded to a call from the neighborhood about disorderly conduct but, upon investigation, became convinced that everything was under control. It wasn’t until they responded to a second complaint — this time that Evans had fired a shotgun into the air outside his residence — that the situation deteriorated.

According to police reports, when police approached the house, they encountered Evans unarmed. But he quickly retreated into his house where police reportedly heard him loading a shotgun. He then emerged from the house, armed with the shotgun and pointing it toward police. At that point, the officers had little choice. Evans posed a danger to the public and to police on the scene. Both officers fired their guns at Evans, who died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

By longtime neighbor Lea Hamblen’s account, Evans was a decent man who’d endured tough times in his life. He had physical disabilities and hearing loss. He also had a drinking problem, which was clearly a key element in last Sunday night’s deadly confrontation with police.

Preliminary autopsy results listed Evans as having a .40 blood alcohol content, five times the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle. To say Evans’ judgment was impaired at that point is a gross understatement.

Police are continuing their investigation into the shooting. When complete, the results will be reported to Prosecutor Terry Modesitt. But indications are that the officers handled the situation properly.

In fact, there is no credible information to indicate otherwise.

From a community’s standpoint, compassion is in order for all involved. Evans’ family is understandably devastated. Neighbors are troubled by thoughts that the shooting might have been avoided had they handled matters differently. And the police officers at the scene, of course, are suffering their own personal trauma.

Yet despite the outcome, it appears everyone, with the exception of Evans, did their best to exercise sound judgment during the episode. It’s unfortunate the matter could not be resolved peacefully. But at the moment a serious threat to public safety arose, the officers did what they are trained to do. Indeed, if the officers had not acted as they did, the outcome at the scene might have been far worse.

As this nightmare on South Ninth Street vividly illustrates, police have a difficult and dangerous job. When deadly force is necessary to protect the public, they are accountable for their actions. In this case, we commend the officers involved and the Terre Haute Police Department for handling the matter and its aftermath competently and professionally.