Like all parties involved in a week-long trial surrounding the fatal shooting of a Cabell Heights man five years ago by two sheriff's deputies, Raleigh County Commission John Aliff considered the incident tragic. At the same time, Aliff felt a sense of relief that neither Cpl. Gregory Kade nor his onetime partner, John Hajash, or the commission were held liable in Robert Webb's death. A six-member jury deliberated two hours Monday before absolving the lawmen and the commission of any liability in a wrongful death brought by Webb's widow, Mary. I was elated to hear that those deputies were cleared, and the county commission, Aliff said. It's just a bad thing for anything like that ever happen. We're certainly glad that we were found to not be guilty of any wrongdoing. Had the jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, Aliff said the county would have shared in any judgment through its normal insurance channels. Still, it's a situation where no matter what is done within the county, if it involves county employees, the commission ultimately has to bear a certain amount of that responsibility ... Aliff said. Webb was shot in the driveway of his home in 2006 in the early morning hours of July 4, after firing a semi-automatic rifle to celebrate both his birthday and Independence Day. Attorneys for the plaintiffs contended that Webb was denied immediate medical attention, but the defense countered with a paramedic's testimony that their arrival time coincided with treatment of the victim. Testimony at times focused on two aspects of the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department. One was a vague drug-and-alcohol testing policy for officers involved in the discharge of a firearm, and motor vehicle accidents in which serious injuries or death occurs. Another element involved the policy of handling internal investigations, and whether they must be done by a three-member board of inquiry comprised of the sheriff, chief deputy and a member of an outside law enforcement agency with the rank of sergeant or above, or the West Virginia State Police. Sheriff Steve Tanner, who became chief deputy on the very day Webb was shot, was unavailable for comment Tuesday. Aliff declined to comment on either the drug testing policy or board of inquiry, and whether the commission might want to pursue either. We basically fund the sheriff's department, but as far as the structure and how they get their job done is more or less up to those professionals, the commission president said. If there needs to be any changes, I would defer to the sheriff to make those decisions
By Mannix Porterfield E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
http://www.register-herald.com/local/x1475590440/Commissioner-Aliff-elated-by-deputy-verdict