The Virginian-Pilot
©
CHESAPEAKE
Ryan Frederick said Thursday he’s not the “drug lord” some people might make him out to be, but a scared, 100-pound man who thought someone was breaking into his home.
The 28-year-old spoke from the city jail, where he is being held without bail on charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the shooting of Chesapeake Detective Jarrod Shivers. The officer was shot around 8:40 p.m. Jan. 17 while executing a drug search warrant at Frederick’s home at 932 Redstart Ave. in the Portlock section.
During a jailhouse interview, Frederick said he was sleeping in a back bedroom because his job as a soft drink merchandiser required him to get up early. His dogs, Dora and Bud, were in the house. He woke up because his dogs “were barking like crazy. They’re going like really crazy, so I grab my gun. As I’m walking through the hall, someone comes busting through my door.”
He said intruders were pushing through the bottom panels of the four-panel door, he said. The lighting in the house was dim. Frederick said he didn’t hear anyone say “police” or see identification.
“I was like, 'Oh, God, if I don’t shoot, then he’s going to kill me’ … I think I shot twice. I can’t remember. It happened so fast. All I know is the gun jammed.”
Frederick said he then went back to the bedroom to get a telephone. When he realized police were outside, he walked out of the house and surrendered.
In tears at times, Frederick said he doesn’t grow or sell marijuana. He had a smoking bong and a small bag of marijuana, he said.
Police spokeswoman Christina Golden has said police were wearing badges and helmets marked with the word “POLICE,” and they announced their presence at the door. An unspecified amount of marijuana was found at the house. Frederick has not been charged with any drug offenses.
A confidential informant told police that Frederick was growing marijuana in a garage behind the home, according to a search warrant. Police seized marijuana, lights, five tub containers, a smoking device, a fan, books and magazines and a pay stub during the search.
Frederick said if police found drugs, it was a small amount of marijuana he had for personal use.
“They made a mistake,’’ he said. “It’s a damn shame, too, because someone had to lose their life over it and I’m in jail about to lose my life over it.”
On Jan. 14, three days before the police shooting, Frederick said, someone kicked in a rear portion of the fence around his home and broke into his garage.
“They ransacked my place like they were looking for something. But they didn’t take anything,” he said.
His fear grew, he said, as he thought about a recent, nearby crime – Ny-Asia Tillmon, 1, who was shot and killed in November in South Norfolk.
Hours before the encounter with police, Frederick said he purchased three dead-bolt locks for his garage and home. He said he was worried he would be victimized again.
Now, he’s afraid. His mother died several years ago, and he has only an aunt and uncle in the area.
“I pray every day,” he said. “That’s all I got right now. I keep thinking that my mom’s looking down at me. I hope she knows I’m not the murderer they make me out to be.”
His aunt, Sheryl Morales of South Norfolk, said her family is doing all they can to support Frederick, while keeping the officer’s wife and family in their prayers.
“I’m just so sorry for her loss and her kids’ loss,” Morales said. “We all offer our condolences. We’ve all prayed for them.”
Shivers was an eight-year police veteran with a wife and three children. The 34-year-old served in the Navy before joining the Police Department.
“There’s nothing but sorrow I feel for that family,” Frederick said. “There are no words that I could say that will take back that night.”
Frederick retained James Broccoletti as his attorney on Thursday and will be arraigned Wednesday .
As for the lights the police found, Frederick said he was growing a banana tree as a hobby and was learning how to grow Japanese maple trees. He said he designed his backyard’s landscape and grew other plants.
Frederick said he has worked since he was 12, starting as a paperboy. As a merchandiser for a soda company, he must wake up at 4 a.m. to be at stores by 5.
“He’s not a killer,” said Frederick’s aunt, Sheryl Morales. “He knew someone was in his house and he shot.”
John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com
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And this is all because of
And this is all because of prohibition. Because of a plant that was outlawed on racist and corporatist grounds even though it is far, far more safe than alcohol. Ridiculous, people, we all know what happened after the 18th Amendment passed. Would we rather have police all over the country killing innocents or getting killed over this pretty harmless plant? I'm not sure how this is keeping us safer than it actually being legal.
Just my Opinion
"It could have been something else besides drugs." But it wasn't.
It certainly was not an amount that warranted the search warrant that was obtained. This was intended as an example to show it could happen to anyone. WMD's anyone?
"No weed was being grown here." So he says. And weed was found there.
Actually, the evidence from 2 searches says none was being grown there. I don't care he had a dime bag.
"Your comments as usual are overly simplistic." Seems simple to me - no drugs, no drug raid.
Wouldn't it be truer if you said that if there had been accurate information there would have been no raid?
"Does it bother some of you that part of the population ais capable of thinking for themselves?" It seems to bother you that I am thinking for myself.
Your not thinking, your following others.
"Some of you may want to remember that it is self centered to sit here after the fact talking about what the kid should have done." Or, like you, sitting around talking about what CPD should have done.
This is what CPD does as a profession. I would be nice to know they think about possible outcomes before using the force of an armed team to kick in somebodies door. A
Wrong Philip
If you shoot a burglar they had better be armed in the state of VA. You will be charged if you cannot show that this person was able and armed to do damage to you, and within your home. In VA, a burglar can sue you for damages if they become injured in your home or business. A burglary does not constitute a need for self defense. I feel this is an idiotic law it does not make it any less of the law. The kid will most likely be convicted of manslaughter at the very least.
Trial by a jury of ones peers...
1. In this country, juries are composed of American Citizens, who are not, in most cases, legal scholars. Whatever the wording of, "The Law" most, if not all, American citizens would agree that all of us have the right to defend our persons and property. I doubt that any jury would find Mr. Frederick guilty of murder, especially since,
2. False statements made to the police by a, "CI" would not satisfy the legal requirements of, "Probable Cause for Search." This means that the judge who signed the search warrant, did so illegally. The actions of the police in, "executing" the search warrant, are therefore illegal. In fact, it's doubtful that they can even charge Mr. Frederick with misdemeanor possession, since the reefer was found after they illegally kicked his door in...
Quote Surfvb, "You people
Quote Surfvb, "You people who are just assuming you can do this, don't be surprised when you get charged with 2nd Degree murder for doing what this kid did [only with a real burglar being involved]."
Actually if someone is breaking in your house you have every right to defend your property in whatever means nessesary. You wont get charged with anyting because it was self defence. Now if you shoot him/her and then walk up to them and shoot them again you can be charged.
If it were anyone other than a police officer
If it were an intruder coming in this man home the headlines would be "Intruder shot entering home" no big news, no big deal. The problem is that it was the police. As far as I am concerned this is a problem! If someone is coming in my door uninvited I do not want to wait to see if it is someone who is a threat or the police, lets face it once they are in my door I am in danger!
I am very sad for Officer Shrivers family and think it is terrible that his childern are now fatherless, just try to put your self in Fredericks shoes; pot or not pot if someone is coming in your home are you going to wait to see who it is before you react and take a chance that maybe your child could be less on parent. Lets face it when we are in fear for our lives we react! I agree with a previous poster that the police were doing as they have trained to do, and probably did no wrong. The wrong is how this was handled to begin with. They should have made sure Mr. Frederick knew who was coming in his house, had Frederick known it was the police I feel assured he would not have shot!
I will contribute to the officiers memorial fund but if given the chance I would contribute to a legal fund for Freder
where do you start
Lets say we have 100,000 homes in Chesapeake. Lets be VERY CONSERVATIVE and say there is marijuana in one out of every 1000 homes. That gives us 1000 warrants to obtain and 1000 doors to break down tonight. Need to hire more cops...A LOT MORE! When the police have time to break down the doors of marijuana users we already have too many cops or poor leadership telling them how to spend their time. I know it's a cliche but don't we have some real criminals to deal with? If the Chesapeake PD is looking for work I know of an 1 unsolved murder in Norfolk and one in Portsmouth. Offer them your help.
consequences
Ryan has admitted to using pot. Until the trial we probably won't know how much was taken from his house. Unfortunately, when we choose to break the law (smoking pot is breaking the law) we take the risk of getting caught and suffering the consequences. I don't believe Ryan knew it was a police officer breaking down his door but I also believe that Officer Shivers was a wonderful husband and father, terrific friend, and a dedicated law enforcement officer doing his job to protect law-abiding citizens. The problem is with the informant and the procedure the Chesapeak police in general use when serving warrants. No amount of pot is worth anyone's life. Who is this informant? Another drug user who cut a deal to escape punishment? There is too much information yet unknown. I hope Chesapeake and other cities will re-examine the way they serve search warrants. Yes, Ryan was breaking the law by using pot and he should pay for that. But now it's the word of the officers who have just lost a beloved friend against Ryan's and while most officers are probably honest and will do the right thing, I personally know a few who aren't and have heard them lie and have seen how they twist informatio
free ryan
free this kid...
Jersey
Godspeed to you and your fellow officers. I believe Det Shivers and the rest of the team did what they were trained to do the way it was supposed to be done. I've done the ride along previously. You have a tough job. That said, why won't the police describe how much marijuana/seeds/plants were seized in the raid (if even in vague terms)? Why haven't drug charges been filed against Mr Frederick? I don't want to see any officers killed and I grieve for the Shivers family. I know Ryan, though. I don't think the police have to have made mistakes for Ryan to be found innocent.