Several (but not all) Canton Council members release statement on fatal police shooting

CANTON – Five members of City Council have released a statement saying they expect "quick and decisive action" from Canton officials if an investigation determines wrongdoing by the officer who killed James Williams.

Williams, 46, was shot and killed by a city police officer on New Year's Day while firing an AR-15 into the air at his southwest Canton home. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the case and will present findings to the Stark County Prosecutor's Office, which will determine whether the officer's actions were legal.

"While we will not rush to judgment prior to a full and fair investigation being concluded, we will be paying close attention to this process and expect it to move as swiftly as possible to give our citizens the answers they deserve," according to the statement from council members.

More: Widow: "They didn't say, 'Police.' They didn't say, 'Freeze.' ... They just shot him."

More: Body cam footage: Officer shoots before yelling, "Police! Get down now!"

Canton City Council press release by Darrin Werbeck on Scribd

Why members signed

The statement was signed by council members Brenda Kimbrough, D-2; Chris Smith, D-4; Kevin Hall, D-6; Robert Fisher, D-5; and Frank Morris, D-9.

Smith said all council members were emailed a draft of the statement and those who responded with interest were included on the final version sent Tuesday to The Canton Repository. She felt "something needed to be said" by city leaders, although their "hands are tied" while the investigation continues.

Several residents and community activists have called for the council to release information at City Council meetings, and weekly protests for transparency have occurred outside the Canton Police Department.

"Although it happened to be a city police officer involved in the case, I didn't want the community nor the family to think that just because that's the way it happened that we're not concerned and that we do not sympathize with them," Smith said.

She also took issue with statements made to the council about no one reaching out to the Williams' family. Smith said she visited the house three times and left a note with her name and number when no one came to the door.

Hall said it appears to him that "something was not done proper" — in relation to procedures or training — to result in Williams' death. He primarily wanted the release to convey "compassion and support" to Williams' wife and six children.

"I just want it to be known that my condolences go out to this family," Hall said.

Kimbrough said she wanted residents to know that council members are closely following the investigation.

"I needed them to know that as a group, as an African-American council person, that we care about our constituents," she said. "We are concerned. We also care about the police as well. We just want to make sure that everything is taken care of in a correct manner."

Morris said he signed the statement, which was drafted by the Canton Law Department, "because I feel that there should be transparency and accountability."

Fisher did not immediately respond to The Canton Repository's request for comment.

Why some Canton City Council members didn't sign

Five of the eight council members who did not sign the release — Greg Hawk, D-1; Jason Scaglione, D-3; Peter Ferguson, D-8; James Babcock, D-at large; Bill Smuckler, D-at large; Council President William Sherer II — said they did not want to comment on an ongoing investigation.

"I believe that we need to wait until the investigation is done by the state of Ohio, and I believe appropriate actions will be addressed when the investigation is completed," Council President William Sherer II said. "I think it's premature to do that."

Sherer added that his position would remain the same, but he didn't see an email or the statement before the clerk of council sent it to The Canton Repository.

"I don't think that was shared with everybody," he said.

Councilman John Mariol, D-7, said he knew members discussed an informal council resolution regarding Williams' death but didn't receive the statement or a request to sign it. After reading the statement, Mariol did not have a definitive answer about whether he would have added his name.

Newly elected Councilman Louis Giavasis, D-at large, said he's still setting up his council email and hadn't seen the statement beforehand. While he doesn't disagree with what was written, he said the judicial process needs to play out.

"I'm not going to rush to judgment on this," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton City Council members release statement on fatal police shooting