12122014 - News Article - Report: Indiana police justified in fatal shooting - Preliminary report: Indiana police justified in fatal shooting outside Lake Station City Hall

Report: Indiana police justified in fatal shooting
Preliminary report: Indiana police justified in fatal shooting outside Lake Station City Hall
The Elkhart Truth
Posted on Dec. 12, 2014 at 1:32 p.m.

LAKE STATION, Ind. (AP) — Three police officers acted properly when they fatally shot an 84-year-old man outside Lake Station City Hall after he fired a shotgun in the air and then moments later pointed it at officers, a preliminary investigation found.

The report released Friday said the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force determined that “the deadly use of force by the three Lake Station police was justified and their actions potentially prevented other catastrophic events from occurring.”

John Laco of Portage refused to drop the shotgun when ordered to by Lake Station police Lt. John McDaniel and Detectives Dennis Dover and Glenn Gulley, the report said. The officers fired 11 shots at Laco, striking him three times in the head, chest and hand. He died at the scene Tuesday.

The task force will forward a formal report to the Lake County prosecutor’s office for an official independent review of its investigation.

The report said associates described Laco as an angry man who at times suffered from depression. The report also said in 2007 he had stalked a former Lake Station police chief because he was upset how police had handled a juvenile assault case involving a family member.

Lake Station police had rescued Laco from his burning home shortly after midnight on Feb. 20, the report said. Earlier this month, the city had ordered him to demolish the home after he had previously been cited for not cutting the grass or cleaning up debris.

“He frequently made negative comments about the Lake Station mayor and how the city was trying to force him to demolish his fire-damaged residence,” the report said.

Police say the day before Laco was fatally shot, a neighbor of Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist reported hearing what he thought was a gunshot and saw a dark sport utility vehicle driving away. The mayor was not at home and the neighbor didn’t call police.

Authorities learned of what the neighbor heard while investigating Laco’s death. Police said they didn’t find any damage to the mayor’s house, but found a shotgun shell “consistent” with a shell found outside City Hall after Laco fired the shotgun. They also noted that a black Dodge Caliber Laco owned is similar in description to the vehicle the neighbor said he saw, but said they couldn’t say with any certainty whether Laco was involved.

Soderquist told police he didn’t know Laco or have any previous interaction with him.

12102014 - News Article - Man killed by Lake Station police had been saved by them months before

Man killed by Lake Station police had been saved by them months before
NWI Times
December 10, 2014
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/police-id-armed-man-killed-in-lake-station-city-hall/article_855e61f0-a6ef-597b-94c0-7a54b29f5f69.html

LAKE STATION | An 84-year-old man who was pulled from a burning building by police 10 months ago was shot and killed by officers Tuesday after pointing a shotgun at them, officials said.

John Laco, who had addresses in Lake Station and Portage, fired a 16-gauge shotgun into the air in the parking lot outside Lake Station City Hall and got back into his vehicle, said Bob Byrd, spokesman for the Lake County Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force.

Three police officers who had been inside the police station went to investigate about 10:30 a.m. after police received a call about a man with a gun, Byrd said.

The officers saw Laco sitting in his vehicle with a window rolled down and the barrel of a shotgun sticking out the window, Byrd said. Police told Laco to drop the weapon and exit the car.

Laco began exiting the vehicle and pointed the shotgun at police, who fired several times, Byrd said.

Laco was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m., a Lake County coroner's release said.

Byrd did not say how many times Laco was shot and did not release the names of the police officers involved in the shooting.

An inoperable pellet gun that looked like a handgun was found in Laco's sweatshirt, Byrd said. Police were not aware of that weapon until after Laco's death, he said.

Police are investigating whether a report of a gunshot Monday night outside Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist's home, which is in a neighborhood south of City Hall, is connected to Laco, officials said.

"We are still talking to witnesses on the nature of the call," Lake Station Police Chief Kevin Garber said at a news conference Tuesday.

Soderquist declined comment Tuesday pending the police investigation.

Soderquist was not at City Hall on Tuesday when the shooting happened, officials said. Police had no indication that Laco ever entered City Hall, Byrd said.

One of Soderquist's neighbors, Tim Brewer, said he and his wife heard a loud gunshot Monday night.

"I heard it and I'm like, 'Holy cow.' It was loud. It had to be a shotgun or a large caliber," Brewer said.

Brewer said he went outside and didn't see anything. However, he had seen a suspicious dark-colored vehicle parked in two different locations in the area before he heard the gunshot, he said.

Byrd said there is no clear motive for why Laco went to City Hall on Tuesday.

Police have been interviewing Laco's family, including his children, and friends to help determine a motive. Laco was not married. Byrd said there is no indication Laco was suffering from dementia.

Before Tuesday, Laco had little contact with police other than the time they rescued him from the fire, Byrd said.

A Lake Station police officer on patrol the night of Feb. 20 found Laco's residence at 2701 Central Ave., on fire.

Several officers responded and pulled Laco from the burning building, Byrd said. Laco was taken to a hospital.

There was no indication of arson, Byrd said. The fire's cause was determined to be faulty electrical extension cords, he said.

Byrd said about 20 detectives from departments around the region were working the case with the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force, including officers from the Lake County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police.

Police blocked off Central Avenue for much of the day, rerouting traffic through the neighborhood to the south.

Yellow tape was strung around the perimeter of the City Hall property and the Lake Station-New Chicago branch of the Lake County Public Library, which sits just east of City Hall and shares the parking lot.

Two windows and a door at the library branch were damaged in the shooting, said Carolyn Strickland, assistant director for the library system.

Police believe the library was damaged by stray bullets from the gunfire and was not an intended target, Byrd said. It's a "real possibility" the shots that damaged the library came from police, he said.

Fifteen to 20 patrons and employees were inside the branch at the time of the shooting, officials said. No injuries were reported.

The branch was closed after the shooting, and police interviewed each person inside, Strickland said. People were allowed to leave the library following police interviews, but they were not permitted to remove their vehicles until police took down yellow tape from around the parking lot about 4 p.m., Strickland said.

The branch will reopen at 10 a.m. Wednesday, she said.

Ingrid Norris, director of the Lake County Public Library, who was present during the news conference, praised the Police Department.

"The Lake Station police were terrific. They calmed the patrons down, calmed the staff down," she said.

Norris also praised her staff members for how they handled the situation.

Jesus Ruiz, a mechanic at nearby San Juan Tire Shop, said he heard a loud bang about 10:30 a.m. as he and others were putting on gloves and hats in preparation for work.

Ruiz said he initially thought it was a tire bursting at the shop, which sits on the north side of Central Avenue across from City Hall.

The first bang was followed by about a dozen gunshots, he said.

When Ruiz made it outside, he saw smoke rising from near the entrance to City Hall and heard police yelling at a someone to get on the ground, he said.

Ruiz saw a man had been shot in the parking lot between City Hall and the library, he said. A dark-colored vehicle that had been near the man's body was towed from the parking lot about 2:40 p.m., he said.

Ruiz pointed to a white and red cloth on the ground and said it had been used to cover the man before his body was removed from the scene by coroner's officials.

Fire Department personnel arrived after 3 p.m. and began to clean the spot where Ruiz said the body had been.

"To think about it — you're just working and somebody gets shot," Ruiz said. "That's something else."

Tom Nikalaj, of nearby Joe's Auto Sales at 1900 Central Ave., said he was in the business Tuesday morning when he heard gunshots.

Nikalaj said he opened the front door and heard police yelling at a man to get down before he heard 10 to 14 shots.

"It was like watching a movie," Nikalaj said. 

Nikalaj said he planned to go to City Hall to pay his water bill Tuesday morning but decided to vacuum some of the cars in the lot first.

12102014 - News Article - Neighbors shocked by Laco's shooting death

Neighbors shocked by Laco's shooting death

NWI Times

December 10, 2014

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/neighbors-shocked-by-laco-s-shooting-death/article_4ce790d3-8105-56f3-8d98-75cd1bff139c.html

LAKE STATION | Three boarded up windows at the Lake Station-New Chicago branch of the Lake County Public Library were the only reminders of gunfire that ended the life of John Laco, 84, on Tuesday.

About a mile away, neighbors of Laco's burned out former home at 2701 Central Ave. said they were shocked by the death because Laco always seemed so nice. Mike, at Mike's Gas Stop across the street from the home, said Laco used to come in all the time to buy lottery tickets, a newspaper and Little Debbie cakes, and frequently complained about City Hall.

"He put up cardboard signs in front of his house complaining about the taxes," said Mike, who would not give his last name.

The siding on Laco's home is melted and looks like torn, dirty sheets, and much of the exterior is charred. A fire there Feb. 20 was blamed on faulty electrical extension cords. Laco was pulled from the building by police officers and was treated for smoke inhalation, a neighbor said.

Lisa Krebs, who lives across the street to the west of the charred structure, said Laco knew her grandfather and she's known him since she was a small child.

"I used to give him rides to different places," Krebs said. "He was a pretty decent guy. I never had any problems with him. I saw him in the hospital a couple of times after the fire."

She said his house smells bad in the summer and she expected it to be torn down, but nothing has happened.

She called Tuesday's shooting death at the library/City Hall complex "shocking." And, like several others who knew him, she saw nothing before to indicate he would do anything rash.

Police said Laco was sitting in his car with the barrel of a shotgun sticking out the window. He was ordered by police to drop the gun and exit the car. As he exited the car, Laco allegedly pointed the gun at police, who opened fire, striking Laco several times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting is still under investigation.

"He always complained about his water bill," Krebs said. "Everybody says the water bill is too high."

"It's sad, but you can't do that," Krebs said of Laco's alleged actions with the gun.

Jim and Jeannette Hamilton own the engine repair shop next to Laco's home and said they occasionally helped him out. Their son Mitch would mow Laco's lawn, and Jim would do small repairs for Laco. He said Laco would offer to pay for it, but Hamilton refused the offer as a gesture of goodwill between neighbors. They described the relationship with Laco as neighborly without any problems.

Betty Ortiz said Laco came into her Central Laundromat regularly and would talk a bit.

"He was a very clean-cut man," Ortiz said. "He looked like my father would in the old days. This was a sad thing, especially since we knew him and he died that way."

Her daughter Julie Ortiz said Laco often came into the video store where she worked 20 years ago and was always very nice.

"When I found out it was him, I couldn't believe it," Julie Ortiz said. "He wasn't somebody we would complain about, but he wasn't somebody you just chatted with."

12092014 - News Article - Elderly man fatally shot by Indiana police after firing shotgun

Elderly man fatally shot by Indiana police after firing shotgun
CLTV - Chicago Land TV
WGN WEB DESK
DECEMBER 9, 2014 - 2:02 PM
http://cltv.com/2014/12/09/elderly-man-fatally-shot-by-indiana-police-after-firing-shotgun/
Authorities in Lake Station, Indiana continue to investigate a police shooting that resulted in the death of an elderly man Tuesday morning.

84-year-old John Laco was shot by officers in the parking lot of city hall just before 10:30 a.m., moments after Laco is alleged to have fired a single round into the air from a 16 gauge shotgun.

Police found him inside his car moments later, with the shotgun barrel sticking out the window.

“They ordered the individual to drop the weapon and show his hand. The suspect at that time then opened the car door and began to exit the car with the shotgun pointed at the officers at which time all three officers began to fire,” said Bob Byrd of Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force.

Several rounds hit Laco killing him, as well as breaking a window at the nearby library, prompting a temporary lockdown there.

Police later found an inoperative pellet gun inside Laco’s sweatshirt pocket.

Ironically, Lake Station officers saved Laco’s life in February of this year during a late-night electrical fire at his home.

It is still unknow why Laco was outside city hall today and why he fired the single gunshot.

“Right now we’re interviewing family members trying to determine what that notice may have been. We have none at this time,” Byrd said.

There was some sort of altercation at the home of Lake Station mayor Keith Soderquist yesterday afternoon.   Neither the police chief or mayor would confirm if Laco was involved in that, saying only that the investigation is ongoing.

An autopsy scheduled for tomorrow

12092014 - News Article - Police Shoot, Kill Elderly Man Armed With Shotgun Outside Lake Station City Hall

Police Shoot, Kill Elderly Man Armed With Shotgun Outside Lake Station City Hall
CBS News - Chicago
December 9, 2014 - 1:30 PM
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/12/09/police-shoot-kill-elderly-man-armed-with-shotgun/

CHICAGO (CBS) – Police say an 84-year-old man who was burned out of his home less than a year ago fired a shotgun Tuesday outside the City Hall in Lake Station, Indiana, east of Gary, and confronted police, who killed him.

The gunman, identified by police and the Lake County coroner as John Laco, had moved from friend’s home to friend’s home since the Feb. 10 fire, when different Lake Station officers saved his life.

Lake County Major Crimes Task Force spokesman Robert Byrd said bystanders called 911 at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to report that Laco held a shotgun aloft and fired it once into the air in the parking lot shared by the Lake Station municipal complex and public library.

Three officers responded within moments to find the barrel of the shotgun hanging outside the driver’s window to Laco’s car. Byrd said that when the officers ordered Laco to drop the gun, he allegedly emerged from the car to confront them, “with the shotgun pointed at the officers, at which time all three police officers began to fire” at Laco. The number of shots was not immediately clear, although witnesses said they heard more than a dozen shots.

The gunfire broke a window in the public library, which police placed on lockdown until police could determine that Laco acted alone. Byrd said the task force is trying to determine if Laco is the person who fired a shot 18 hours earlier at Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist’s home.

Soderquist had been at City Hall 10-15 minutes before the shooting, but Byrd said Soderquist had left the area.

Byrd said there is no known bad blood between the men. But Soderquist is under indictment on charges of using campaign funds and money from the city’s food pantry to feed a gambling addiction, charges Soderquist has denied.

In fact, Byrd said, the February fire is the only contact of consequence police had with Laco before Tuesday. Laco suffered only minor injuries in the February fire, and was released at the time after treatment at St. Mary’s Hospital, in Hobart.

Byrd said the task force has mobilized 20 detectives from various Lake County departments, as well as the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police.

12062014 - NW Indiana official under FBI investigation expects sympathy - REALLY???

Davich: Officials’ three magic words: ‘Off the record’

Post Tribune

JERRY DAVICH 

November 5, 2014 

https://jerrydavich.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/my-favorite-three-words-off-the-record/

A couple weeks back, I was asked to meet with a well-known public officeholder who wanted to have an entire conversation with me off the record...

So we met at the national chain joint for breakfast and this guy told me how the FBI has been grilling him for months about his record keeping, his office and even his personal finances. He’s been a wreck over it, causing him enough grief to lose weight and, to a degree, lose his sanity.

“Jerry, it’s brutal,” he told me, shaking his head and stirring his coffee.

He explained to me about a parallel world existing in this region that swirls around targeted public officials under the feds’ microscope, whether they’re guilty of wrongdoing or not. This underworld soon includes questions for anyone remotely associated with the target, including their friends, family and even church pastors.

“Let me tell you, it’s the worst. It’s sheer terror,” he told me.

Or as one targeted public official once told me: “It’s un-American is what it is. They pull your credit reports, they scan your files, they ask for all your receipts, some dating back a decade.” ...

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Davich: Officials’ three magic words: ‘Off the record’

Post Tribune

JERRY DAVICH 

November 5, 2014 

https://jerrydavich.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/my-favorite-three-words-off-the-record/

“Off the record.”

I hear this phrase on an almost daily basis from region officials who want me to know their insights about certain issues, but not with their name attached. I heard it more often as Election Day approached, with political candidates even more leery about controversial topics, campaign strategies or mudslinging gossip.

These behind-the-scenes insights forced me to look differently at many of the candidates who were running for public office in this past midterm election. I learned that one candidate struggles with bipolar-related anger issues (he won his race), another one is a delusional megalomaniac (he lost his office). I voted accordingly.

“Jerry, this is just between you and me – you know, off the record, so you know the truth,” a Northwest Indiana mayor told me recently.

He then told me what I needed to know to write my column, though he was never mentioned. This is a commonplace exchange for journalists. For many, their bread and butter. Always has been. We rely on such insights, information or confirmation of rumored facts.

Talking-head officials, especially the polished ones, know this and they’re quick to preface any conversation with those three magic words: Off the record. When I’m doing an interview in person, I will literally put down my pen and turn off my recorder, to show them I understand their concerns.

It’s my way to show respect, as well as appreciation of their trust in me. (If I was a public official, I would certainly think twice before talking with someone like me, that’s for sure.)

Some bureaucrats still remain leery, insisting for verbal confirmation that I will not attach their name to what I’m told. Others will quietly escort me away from any crowds to whisper in my ear, literally. I once had a police detective usher me away from any crowds three times during the same conversation involving his department. That’s how paranoid he was about talking to me in public.

“You can never be too safe about this stuff,” he told me, his eyes darting back and forth.

A couple weeks back, I was asked to meet with a well-known public officeholder who wanted to have an entire conversation with me off the record. He asked to meet with me for coffee somewhere and I had him choose the restaurant. Why? I knew he was nervous about being seen in public with me, or with any media type for that matter.

“How about this place?” he asked, referring to a national chain restaurant. “I don’t know of a lot of politicians who meet there.”

He’s right. Most pols seem to gravitate to local eateries, coffeehouses or bars where they know the owners, the servers and most of the customers. They feel like Norm from “Cheers.” Great for the ego, I’m guessing.

So we met at the national chain joint for breakfast and this guy told me how the FBI has been grilling him for months about his recordkeeping, his office and even his personal finances. He’s been a wreck over it, causing him enough grief to lose weight and, to a degree, lose his sanity.

“Jerry, it’s brutal,” he told me, shaking his head and stirring his coffee.

He explained to me about a parallel world existing in this region that swirls around targeted public officials under the feds’ microscope, whether they’re guilty of wrongdoing or not. This underworld soon includes questions for anyone remotely associated with the target, including their friends, family and even church pastors.

“Let me tell you, it’s the worst, it’s sheer terror,” he told me.

Or as one targeted public official once told me: “It’s un-American is what it is. They pull your credit reports, they scan your files, they ask for all your receipts, some dating back a decade.”

Some of these targeted officeholders get trained by the feds on how to take a bribe – with a wire attached to them – to catch any wrongdoing by others.

So why did this particular officeholder tell me all this over a 90-minute conversation?

“It’s not fair and someone like you needs to know what’s going on, just in case,” he said. “This isn’t only about me, but for anyone in this position. A lot of it is just perception.”

Perception is reality, especially in politics. For many public officials it’s all that matters anyway. This is why “off the record’ is used so often by so many of them, including ones who do nothing wrong. They don’t mind sharing information. They just can’t be held accountable for its origin or responsible for its consequences.

Keep this in mind when reading newspaper stories, media accounts or this column space. And if you want me to know something I otherwise wouldn’t, or possibly shouldn’t, don’t forget to first say those three magic words.