A jury in Spokane, Washington, is deliberating the fate of a Navajo man who was charged with car theft after being shot in the head by an off-duty police officer.
Shonto Pete is accused of trying to steal officer James “Jay” Olsen's pickup truck. But Pete testified that all he was doing in the early hours of February 26 was looking for a ride home.
Pete said Olsen started following him in the truck. After a chase, Pete was shot in the head by Olsen, who has been suspended from the force and has been charged with first-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
Both Pete and Olsen were legally drunk on the night of the incident. Pete recovered from his head wounds. Olsen refused to testify about the chase and the shooting, citing his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
Pete's family experienced tragedy a few months after the incident. His 18-year-old sister, Tasheena Craft, was murdered on the Flathead Reservation in Montana in May.
Get the Story:Jury begins deliberations in Pete trial (The Spokesman Review 10/17) Related Stories:
Navajo man shot in head by officer faces trial (8/31)
Indian teen found dead on Flathead Reservation (5/31)
