Richmond Police Officer Indicted again in Shooting: Facing Manslaughter Charge in Shooting of Unarmed Black Man
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Still NO JUSTICE for Santanna Olavarria
A Richmond grand jury yesterday indicted former police officer Michael Couture on a voluntary-manslaughter charge in the 2004 shooting of Santanna Bryant Olavarria. "I intend to clear the air by giving a jury the opportunity to resolve this once and for all," Commonwealth's Attorney Michael N. Herring said, confirming the indictment. Trial is scheduled for May 23. Last year, a special grand jury indicted Couture, 31, and his rookie partner, Edward Aeschlimann, on second-degree murder charges in connection with the shooting. It took place May 29, 2004, after the officers pulled over Olavarria, 21, near Mechanicsville Turnpike and Fairfield Way in Richmond's East End. When a jury in November deadlocked in Couture's case, then-Commonwealth's Attorney David M. Hicks, who tried the case, postponed Aeschlimann's prosecution. He left the decision on Aeschlimann's trial and a possible retrial of Couture in the hands of Herring. Couture has said that he jumped into Olavarria's moving car during a struggle with the suspect, who had been pulled over for running a stop sign. On his back in the passenger seat of Olavarria's car, Couture said he fired at Olavarria because he feared for his life. Hearing the shot, Aeschlimann said he feared for his partner's life and fired four times into the vehicle from behind, striking Olavarria three times. An autopsy determined both men fired a shot that could be considered fatal. "I'm grateful -- I'm elated. I want somebody to fight for my child, and he did that today," Olavarria's mother, Annette, said last night about Herring, who will try the case himself. "Of course, I wish it was a second-degree charge, but I will accept manslaughter. I will accept anything that, God willing, will bring justice. [more]
