The grand jury did not bring or recommend charges against Officer Robert Swartzwelder but used strong language in describing his conduct.
In the early morning hours on January 22, 2017, a burglar broke into the home of Christopher Mark Thompkins, his ex-wife Brenda Richmond, and his 78-year-old mother. The burglar set off an alarm, which summoned the police. Thompkins, meanwhile, was worried about his mother, who sleeps downstairs. He took Richmond’s gun (for which she has a permit), and chased the burglar downstairs and out of the house while firing it. The police arrived, saw Thompkins inside the house armed and shooting, and shot him dead.
The investigation ultimately concluded with no charges against the two officers who killed Thompkins. Even Richmond doesn’t blame them: “They were trying to do their job. They didn’t know they were shooting Mark. … They saw somebody shooting, they shoot.” But Officer Robert Swartzwelder, president of the police union, wasn’t taking any chances; instead, he “deliberately tried to block investigators.” According to the grand jury, Swartzwelder:
“stopped investigators from gathering evidence” after the shooting;
“fought at every stage to ensure those tasked with overseeing the investigation would not be provided with all the facts and evidence necessary to determine whether the officers were justified in their actions”;
used “‘heavy-handed tactics,’ to dictate police procedure”; and
“acted with ‘deliberate malfeasance’ and ‘utter disregard’ for the policies and ethical standards of the Police Bureau.”
Gee, what do you suppose happens when officers are actually guilty?