State police report was accurate

We have watched the video.

Last week, we reported on the results of the Indiana State Police investigation regarding the officer-involved fatal shooting May 1 in Portland.

It is our job to do so.

It is also our job to independently review the video ourselves.

We made a request with Jay County Prosecutor’s Office to do so and reviewed the video this week.

We find the Indiana State Police description of the incident shared in Schemenaur’s press release to be accurate.

As a result of the investigation, the shooting was declared justified. We understand that word — “justified” — is a hard one to swallow.

It’s important to understand that word is not used to describe Spencer Calvert’s death — no one’s death is ever “justified.” Rather, it indicates that Portland police officer Mitchell Rigby, given the circumstances, was justified in using lethal force.

Various social media posts have been vitriolic toward the police officers who were involved in the incident.

We feel it is important to add some context, beyond what was included in last week’s report.

The officers involved begged Calvert to drop the knife he was holding and using to repeatedly stab himself.

There’s no other word that fits.

They begged.

Yes, there were times during the incident when oral commands were yelled. But there was also gentle pleading.

“Spencer, put it down, please put it down so we can help you.”

“Spencer, please talk to us. Why is this happening?”

“Listen to me. Drop the knife. … We can stop this.”

Each time, Calvert refused, in the form of his actions and words.

It has been suggested on social media that police beat Calvert with a chair until they broke his spine.

That is not true. Tony Lennartz of Jay County Sheriff’s Office swung a chair at Calvert three times — none of them hit him in the back — in failed attempts to dislodge the knife.

It has also been suggested that Rigby shot Calvert while he was walking or running away.

That is not true. Calvert charged at Rigby with the knife raised, as was detailed in the report from Indiana State Police. His body twisted as he fell to the ground, resulting in three of the five bullets striking him in the back.

What happened May 1 was a tragedy. Death, especially at such a young age, can only be describe as such.

We feel for Calvert and the anguish he was clearly going through that day.

We feel for his family and friends, who are mourning his loss.

We feel for Rigby, who must now live with the reality that his shots resulted in Calvert’s death.

And we feel for the other officers who were on scene.

If the video had shown police acting in grossly improper ways as we have seen in other incidents across the country, we would say so.

It did not. — R.C.