Police “Justified” in Separate Officer-Involved Shootings

Source: Policeman on crime scene . Red plastic tape and police officer, gun belt, handcuffs and gun.With a sunshine flare coming in.

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. — Police have been found “justified” in separate officer-involved shootings that happened in New Haven and Fort Wayne this year.

Officers say 37-year-old Robert Vicena had a knife when they tried to arrest him on April 27th. Vicena had apparently been involved in a domestic incident, and he threatened them with the knife when they arrived.

They also note that 22-year-old Linzell Parhm was riding in a car that was stopped on June 22nd, and he kept reaching for a gun.

Body-cam footage of that incident was later released, in which officers could be heard repeatedly telling the man to keep his hands on the dash. Parhm’s family later hired attorneys to look into his death.

The Allen County Prosecutor’s Office believes “force was necessary to prevent serious bodily injury or death” in both cases.