Lima SWAT team commander testifies in Chavalia trial

7/30/2008

LIMA, Ohio The Lima Police Department s SWAT team commander testified Wednesday morning that moments after Sgt. Joe Chavalia shot an unarmed woman and her infant child during a drug raid, the sergeant told him he thought he d been shot at.

Lt. Chris Protsman said he went upstairs shortly after he heard gunfire and saw officers bringing children downstairs.

"I said, Joe, what happened? He said, They were firing at me from the bedroom and I shot back, " Lieutenant Protsman said from the witness stand.

The lieutenant was first to take the stand during the third day of Sergeant Chavalia s jury trial in Allen County Common Pleas Court on misdemeanor counts of negligent homicide and negligent assault in the Jan. 4 shooting death of Tarika Wilson and wounding of her 1-year-old son Sincere.

Police were looking for Anthony Terry, Wilson s boyfriend from whom several undercover drug buys had been made.

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