“Deputy Shaw is going through all the training that the rest of the deputies have been through. The field training process is a very important part of being a road deputy,” said Chief Deputy Jeff Meyer.
BODY CAM: New Carlisle News photographer shot by deputy
Meyer said the training involves Shaw spending 10 weeks — three weeks each with a different senior deputy on different shifts. The final week will be spent with his field training officer.
“A lot of times the field training officer will be in civilian clothes and more or less be there in the car to watch how he handles himself or herself,” he said.
Shaw was one of 12 deputies to apply for this latest road patrol position, which Meyer said is usually granted based on the seniority of the interested deputies. In this case, experience ranged from one to four years. Shaw has been with the sheriff’s office since 2015.
Shaw was cleared of charges by a Clark County Grand Jury in March in connection with the Sept. 2017 shooting of New Carlisle News photographer, Andy Grimm.
MORE COVERAGE: Deputy apologizes after shooting photographer
Shaw initiated a traffic stop the night of Sept. 4 on North Main Street in New Carlisle and ended up firing two shots at Grimm. Grimm was injured in the shooting, but survived.
Shaw’s body camera footage appears to show he stopped a vehicle for speeding. A short time later, he returns to his cruiser and relays the man’s license and insurance information to dispatchers. It’s not clear what Shaw heard or saw from that point on.
But minutes later, the video appears to show Shaw suddenly fire two shots with no apparent verbal warning. Shaw then recognizes the man he shot as Grimm. In the video, Shaw can be heard telling Grimm he mistook Grimm’s camera equipment as a weapon.
“I need people here now!” Shaw says on the recording. “… Andy, I thought it was a freaking gun, dude!”
Shaw calls for an ambulance while he applies pressure to Grimm’s wound, according to the recording.
“It’s something that the public may hold above his head, and it may be for quite awhile that that cloud is over him that happened in the past,” Meyer said.
RELATED: Clark County deputy back to work after shooting news photographer
Shaw was placed on administrative leave after the incident and returned to the jail division in October. Meyer said Shaw has applied for two other road positions in the past, and the incident was not factored into the decision for the selection of this latest road deputy.
Although Meyer said Shaw may not necessarily be assigned to patrol the city of New Carlisle, he could be in the Bethel Twp. area, which encompasses the city limits of New Carlisle.
Grimm didn’t immediately comment on Shaw’s return to the road, but his father, Dale Grimm did speak at Monday’s New Carlisle city council meeting.
“For 10 weeks, he’ll be in training with another deputy. He wasn’t assigned to New Carlisle, but he was seen in town yesterday evening. So watch yourselves,” he said.
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