An Editorial by John Estridge
A person told me to read an article in a local publication.
After reading it, I was shocked, livid and otherwise upset.
It was about the police-involved shooting in Cedar Grove on May 13.
Zachary Chetwood, 31, called 911 and said he was going to commit suicide. However, after four Franklin County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived on the scene, Chetwood exited his vehicle, which was parked in front of his residence. After some verbal back-and-forth, gunfire ensued with Chetwood firing off 10 rounds at the deputies. Chetwood was hit twice by the deputies’ bullets, once in the abdomen and once in the leg.
After Chetwood allegedly tried to kill the deputies, the deputies went to Chetwood’s aid, and according to the Indiana State Police detective who investigated the shooting, the deputies’ actions probably saved Chetwood’s life.
The local publication just published an alleged news article about the incident, but it seemed like an editorial. This is an editorial. It is plainly marked as an editorial. The difference is an editorial is an opinion piece. If you are reading this, you are reading my opinions. A news article is supposed to be based on facts and to be balanced, telling both sides of an issue.
In the news article, the publication said Chetwood was committing suicide by cop. Also, a former supervisor said Chetwood “was having a bad night.”
Let’s take these one at a time:
When I think about suicide by cop, I think of a person pointing a gun-like object at armed police officers and waiting to be shot. If the subject is holding an actual firearm, that firearm would be unloaded. That person is not trying to hurt any other individual. He or she just wants to die. It is a dire situation, and I am sorry anyone finds themselves in that situation. But suicide by definition – “the act of killing oneself intentionally” — is not in any way about trying to hurt another innocent individual.
The police report stated Chetwood came out of his vehicle with a loaded weapon and shot 10 bullets at the four deputies who had come to the scene in an attempt to keep Chetwood from committing suicide.
Again, he allegedly actively fired at four people. It is attempted murder on four individuals, plain and simple. Also, in the gunbattle, an occupied residence was hit. No matter who shot those bullets, the bullets were fired in response to a person, allegedly Chetwood, opening fire on the deputies. Those bullets would not have been fired if Chetwood had not allegedly shot at the deputies.
And to reduce the whole situation to Chetwood “was having a bad night” is repugnant in its implications to the deputies, the Cedar Grove residents, Chetwood himself and any other person with a lick of common sense.
The article stated Chetwood is mentally ill. He suffers from PTSD.
I am thankful to Mr. Chetwood for his service. I am sorry he has PTSD or any other mental health issues, but everyone on the planet is negatively affected in some way by mental health issues. And everyone has a bad night or day a multitude of times in his or her lifetime.
But to excuse attempted murder on four individuals to mental illness and having a bad night is belittling to people with mental health issues and what was a very dangerous situation that could have resulted in the deaths of four people who have families.
When a police officer leaves their dwelling to go to work, there is a very good chance he or she will either come home harmed or not come home at all.
Honestly, I am amazed anyone becomes a police officer at this point in our history. We treat police officers like crap. It is happening everywhere. It is even happening here, just read that local publication that did not include one comment from a police officer from anywhere.
I have known Franklin County Sheriff Pete Cates for more than 30 years. He is a man of great integrity, and I would trust him with my life and my family members’ lives.
That person who wrote that article could have, at the very least, asked Pete for a comment. I imagine he would have given one. If I were him, after that one-sided opinion piece dressed up like an article, I would not ever give another comment to anyone associated with that local publication.
I know most of the deputies through my former occupation as editor of the local paper before I was fired. I would take any of them out to dinner, buy them a beer and/or a cup of coffee or do anything for them. They are basically good people who actually go out every day they work and try to help people.
They were trying to keep a person from committing suicide that night. Listen to the scanner, they get called out way too often to do the same thing over and over. And they continue to fearlessly do just that even though they were shot at by someone attempting to kill them.
We are blessed in this community to have good police officers associated with the sheriff’s department, the boots on the ground of the Brookville Police Department, the Conservation Officers and Indiana State Police who patrol the Whitewater Valley.
They should be treated better, especially by local publications owned by local people and staffed with local people.