Prometheus 6

A Tragedy of Errors
The police report on the killing of an unarmed man by a SWAT officer finds fault -- but raises too many questions.
Saturday, January 20, 2007; A22

"OUR GOAL is to be as open and transparent as possible," Fairfax County Police Chief David M. Rohrer said last week as he released a report on the fatal police shooting a year ago of an unarmed, nonthreatening suspect. The report confesses to "gaps in decision-making guidelines" and questionable actions in what should have been a routine arrest of Salvatore J. Culosi, a 37-year-old optometrist suspected of being a sports bookmaker.

But the story still merits more explanation. In the report the police -- for the first time -- officially acknowledge the identity of the shooter: Officer Deval V. Bullock, a SWAT unit member with 17 years' experience. So why was the SWAT unit called in to help round up a man who had been taking bets from the same undercover detective for months -- and who had no criminal record? Exactly how did Officer Bullock's finger wind up on the trigger of his .45-caliber pistol, which fired a single deadly round into Mr. Culosi's chest?