Count how many things are wrong with this article

[Dooby]

S. Rockwood chief met teen for sex, attorney says
BY BEN SCHMITT AND CECIL ANGEL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

July 29, 2003



South Rockwood's police chief left a 17-year-old lying on the ground after shooting him during an early-morning rendezvous last week, an attorney said Monday.

While Keith Hall of Romulus writhed in pain from a single gunshot wound to the chest early Friday morning, Police Chief Kevin Walters hopped in his Oldsmobile Alero and sped away, according to Paul Swanson, Hall's attorney.

Swanson said Hall's friend, Matthew Schieda, 19, of Romulus called 911 and not the chief, as the Monroe County Sheriff's Department reported last week.

"He came back 10 or 15 minutes later," Swanson said of Walters. "He got there either at the same time as the Sheriff's Department or just moments before."

The shooting stemmed from an Internet chat between the chief and the teens. Monroe County Prosecutor Mike Weipert confirmed last week that Walters met them over the Internet but would not say for what purpose.

On Monday, Weipert maintained that it was Walters who called 911 and that he never fled the scene, adding he has not yet reviewed the 911 tapes.

Schieda, who was placed on probation May 21 for an unrelated felony attempted larceny of a building, was arraigned Monday in 1st District Court on a charge of assault with intent to rob while armed. Schieda is being held at the Monroe County Jail on $200,000 bond.

Hall, who also has been charged with assault with intent to rob while armed, remains at Henry Ford Hospital in good condition.

Swanson said Hall has a collapsed lung and is in extreme pain.

Swanson said the teens were cruising a Detroit Web site for women late Thursday or early Friday when they began chatting online with Walters. He said the teens posed as one person, and their Internet profile was "19-year-old with car."

Swanson said the teens told him Walters offered Schieda $20 over the Internet for oral sex. The price went up to $50 and they agreed to meet at a White Castle restaurant at I-75 and West Road in Trenton, said Swanson.

Weipert, however, said the teens set out to rob Walters and ambushed him, beating him with an aluminum baseball bat. He added that his office has confiscated Walters' home computer and is analyzing its files. Walters has not been charged with any crime.

Weipert said the chief is on administrative leave, and he has not yet spoken with him.

Walters, 40, of Flat Rock could not be reached for comment Monday. Prosecutors say the chief thought he was meeting only one person. Swanson said the teens didn't know Walters' identity.

When they met at the restaurant shortly before the shooting, Walters only saw and spoke to Schieda, Swanson said, as Hall waited in a car. He gave the teen $5 for gas and told him "let's go some place more private," according to Swanson.

Schieda and Hall followed the chief to the Ritter Elementary School parking lot, next to the South Rockwood Police Department and Village Town Hall on Carleton-Rockwood Road.

Schieda and the chief took a walk into the woods, Swanson said, while, Hall waited in the car.

As they walked, Schieda reneged on the offer for sex, Swanson said. They turned around and walked back toward their cars.

Then, Hall approached, baseball bat in hand, and asked for a cigarette, Swanson said.

"He went looking after his friend," which is why Hall had the bat, Swanson said.

Walters told Hall he had one in his car and pulled out a handgun, Swanson said.

Hall "freaked out," Swanson said, and struck the car door window with the bat. The prosecutor said Hall struck Walters. Walters then shot Hall in the chest.

"The chief had control of the situation," Swanson said. "If the chief thought they were going to rob him or he sensed it was getting out of hand, why didn't he arrest them? You don't shoot the guy."

A preliminary exam for Schieda is set for Aug. 11 in 1st District Court.

The incident is the talk of the town in South Rockwood, which has a population of 1,300, and rumors have abounded, said resident Lorie Brown.

"I thought it couldn't be true," said Brown, who is a friend of Walters. "Everybody rushes to judgment before they know all the facts."

South Rockwood Village Council members met with concerned residents and the members of the media Monday evening at Ritter Elementary School, where the shooting incident took place.

The council voted to uphold a Friday decision to put Walters on administrative leave with pay. They also appointed Officer Mark Nieman acting police chief.

Nieman said a preliminary report detailing Walters' actions is being reviewed by the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office. It will be a while before any decision on whether to charge Walters is made because the computer files are not back from the lab, he said.

Brown, 38, and her husband, Dan, 41, said Walters is a good friend and a competent police officer.

Walters, who at times stopped by their house for homemade bread, has not been in contact with them since the shooting incident.

Lorie Brown stands by Walters no matter what the outcome, she said.

"He's still my friend," she said. "If this is true, his judgment is not what it should be. But he's still my friend. If the allegations are true, then he's wrong in what he did. But it still won't change anything."

Dan Brown said he was shocked when he heard about the shooting incident and how Walters had arranged to meet one of the men. Now he just wants more information, he said.

"If the allegations are true, I wouldn't think he'd hold his position, because basically you can't do that and be a police officer with credibility."

Someone told Lorie Brown that Walters' wife and children were really upset about the alleged attempted robbery and shooting incident.

"I said, 'You guys just need to wait and see what comes out about it because he doesn't even have a wife and kids,' " Lorie Brown said.

During a public comment session of Monday's meeting, people wanted to know what would happen if the teen who was shot sued. Toni Swartz, 50, was upset that Walters could collect pay during the investigation.

One man wanted to know something that seemed to be on everyone's mind.

"Why was he out there in the middle of the night when the rest of us were at home in bed?" said George Wetzel, 54.

[Drbio]

good grief....

[Chiwas]

The Internet is getting dangerous lately.

[MavKikiNYC]

Count how many things are wrong with this article

So what's the answer?

[Drbio]

too many....

[MFFL]

Its a strange and sad world that we live in.