Cleared of wrongdoing, Racine officers back on the job after fatal shooting

RACINE (WITI) -- New details were released Tuesday, July 29th in the officer-involved shooting that killed Rajko Utvic. Utvic was shot and killed by a Racine officer on Sunday, July 6th in the 3000 block of Durand Avenue.

According to officials, two Racine police officers responded to a 911 call in the 3000 block of Durand Avenue for an individual who self-reported that he had consumed 100 Ibuprofen pills.

Rajko Utvic

Upon arrival, officers encountered Utvic, who was armed with a knife. During the course of the encounter, officers continuously ordered Utvic to drop his weapon, however, their commands were repeatedly ignored.

Officials say officers deployed tasers on Utvic and this “had little or no effect” on him. Utvic then apparently charged the officers with his knife in hand —  and was shot and killed by one of the officers.

Following the shooting, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation. After their investigation reached a conclusion, it was forwarded to the Racine County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Racine County District Attorney Richard Chiapete wrote in a letter to Police Chief Arthel Howell on Monday, July 14th stating that the actions taken by officers in the fatal shooting were “legal, justified and necessary."

In the letter from D.A. Chiapete, he said, “Mr. Utvic bears total culpability for this deadly force confrontation. The officers attempted lesser force options, but were ultimately faced with a situation that placed their own lives at risk.” Chiapete also said, “This was corroborated by witness statements, by the physical evidence on the scene, by the autopsy reports and by the 911 call.”

The officers involved in this incident recently returned to full duty following the outcome of the review.

On Tuesday, July 29th Chief of Police Arthel Howell released a statement on the issue. Below is an excerpt from the statement:

During the course of this investigation, it was revealed that Mr. Utvic suffered from mental illness. As an organization, the Racine Police Department has a strong and demonstrated track record of partnering with local mental health professionals to increase officer understanding and compassion when interacting with individuals who live with mental health challenges.

While the Racine Police Department has committed to increasing the number of officers who receive specialized Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), we acknowledge that such training cannot eliminate the need to exercise lethal force when confronted with the threat of deadly force against citizens or police personnel, as was the case on July 6, 2014.

While the officers involved in this incident have yet to participate in specialized CIT training as of this time, through in-service training, all sworn members of the Racine Police department receive instruction on dealing with mental health consumers. All officers also receive extensive training on dealing with armed individuals.

Although the investigative findings support the conclusion that the use of lethal force was justified, as law enforcement professionals, we are mindful that the outcome in this case is difficult for family members and friends of Mr. Utvic. Even when justified by legal intervention,the loss of life is no less tragic.

We are hopeful that the extensive external review process conducted by RCSO personnel and the subsequent transparency in sharing the results of this investigation give family, friends, and members of the public at large confidence that this matter was investigated with the highest level of professionalism and integrity