by Alex Cooke
Fstoppers
March 22, 2018
You might remember Andy Grimm, an Ohio photographer who was shot by Deputy Jake Shaw after he stopped to take pictures of a traffic stop and his tripod was mistaken for a gun. Grimm filed a lawsuit against the county, but lawyers say not only were the deputy's actions "reasonable," but Grimm's own "negligence... contributed to cause the injuries."
Lawyers for Clark County allege that Deputy Shaw's actions were reasonable and Grimm is responsible for causing the shooting that left him seriously injured last year:
“Defendants aver that it reasonably appeared to Deputy Shaw that Andrew Grimm possessed a firearm under the conditions facing him, in the course and scope of his employment, and in good faith, to make a split-second decision to discharge his weapon in order to protect the public and himself from perceived deadly harm. Plaintiff Andrew Grimm’s own contributory and or comparative negligence and/or assumption of the risk may have caused or contributed to cause the injuries and damages of which he complains.”
The shooting happened when Grimm pulled up in his Jeep to take pictures of a traffic stop. Deputy Shaw saw him pulling a tripod out of the back of the vehicle and shot him after assuming it was a gun. Grimm says prior to that, he had flashed his lights and waved at the deputy, whom he knew personally.
The lawsuit further alleges that Grimm's wife, Melanie, and the New Carlisle News have experienced loss of business after law enforcement agencies retaliated against them. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is still investigating the shooting.
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No Charges for Deputy Who Shot Photographer After Mistaking Camera Equipment for a Gun
By Alex Cooke
Fstoppers
March 23, 2018
Deputy Jacob Shaw, who shot Photographer Andy Grimm after mistaking his tripod for a gun, will not face any criminal charges. A grand jury declined to bring charges against the deputy earlier today.
The grand jury document was released today:
“After due consideration of the above case the Special Grand Jury returned NO BILL(s), regarding the on duty shooting by Deputy Jacob Shaw of Andrew Grimm and the surrounding circumstances. After due consideration of the above case the Grand Jury returned a NO BILL(S) and Deputy Shaw is discharged.”
Though he will not face criminal charges, Deputy Shaw will now be the subject of an administrative investigation by his department. He's currently working under reassignment at the Clark County Jail.
Grimm's lawsuit is also still being pursued, and thus, both the sheriff's office and Grimm declined any meaningful comment on the grand jury's decision today. You may remember that lawyers are attempting to blame Grimm, saying his "negligence" and "assumption of risk" were to blame for his injuries. Shaw's body cam footage (warning: the footage is not graphic, but may be distressing) shows the deputy relaying license and insurance information relating to a traffic stop before quickly exiting his car and shooting Grimm (who had stopped across the street) without any warning. The footage does not show Grimm's actions before being shot, though he does say he tried to make the deputy aware of his presence by flashing his lights and waving at him.
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