Officer Who Killed Local Man Doing Ok Authorities Continue The Probe Into Saturday’s Fatal Shooting, Which Occurred During A Police Call In Rice Township.
By ANDREW TUTINO [email protected]
Tuesday, October 23, 2001 Page: 1A
RICE TWP. – The township police officer who fatally shot a man Saturday is
“not bad considering the situation,” his chief said Monday, as authorities
continue to investigate the shooting.
Chief Robert Franks Jr. said he has spoken with officer Shaun Zane since
the shooting, and Zane “seems to be in good condition.”
“He’s very quiet, so it is hard to tell,” Franks added.
Zane, who is in his early 20s, is on a two-week paid leave following the
shooting of Charles R. Spacek Jr.
District Attorney David Lupas said Zane fired two shots after Spacek
approached Zane and refused to drop a handgun. Zane was called to the home for
a domestic disturbance, and Spacek’s wife and child were there at the time of
the shooting.
Franks said he believes the shooting marks the first time a
Mountaintop-area police officer discharged a weapon on duty.
An autopsy conducted Monday by the Luzerne County Coroner’s office revealed
Spacek died of two gunshot wounds to the chest area, Lupas said. Lupas said
the manner of death has been ruled homicide – a term that means one person was
killed by another. It involves no legal conclusion, Lupas said.
Lupas said state police in Hazleton are conducting the investigation into
the shooting, though there is no evidence that Zane acted improperly. He said
he expects results to be released later this week.
Lupas added that police are probing the possibility Spacek wanted the
officer to kill him – an act that has become known as “suicide by cop” –
because Spacek was known to suffer from depression.
No one answered the door at the Zane residence on Monday afternoon. His
wife Heather contacted a reporter later to say Shaun Zane did not wish to
speak at this time.
Even when a shooting is justified, police officers still can have
difficulty dealing with it, said Kevin Wright, a criminologist at the state
University Center at Binghamton, N.Y.
“Many will ask themselves, `Did I really have to do that?’ ” Wright said.
To handle those doubts, departments have to step in to help officers even
when they do not seem to need assistance, Wright said.
“It’s a macho work environment,” Wright said. “The tendency is to tough
it out.”
But that can lead to stress expressed in other ways, such as alcoholism and
anger problems away from work, Wright said.
Franks described Zane as quiet and “very respectful.” He’s a two-year
member of the Rice Township Police Department and a volunteer with the local
fire department.
“He’s a good cop,” Franks said. “Nobody has anything bad to say about
him.”
If Zane’s actions are ruled justifiable, he will undergo a psychological
exam and then return to work, Franks said.
For a couple of days, Zane will most likely patrol with another police
officer and then be cleared to work solo shifts again, Franks said.
“We want to ease him back in,” he said.
Although there are only four officers in the department, Franks said he
likes to try to keep the township patrolled 24 hours a day. The police
officers usually rotate shifts, but that policy might change when Zane returns
and adapts to work.
Andrew Tutino, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7218.
Staff writer Steven A. Morelli contributed to this article.
