Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting
HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis.
Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report.
During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report.
"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions. As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday.
"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements."
He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report.
"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote.
Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.
On March 2, the Berkshire DA's Office ruled that the use of force in the Jan. 27 Adams officer shooting was justified.
In the same release, DA Timothy Shugrue said they are awaiting reports from the State Police on ballistics report and use of force. At the time, he expected to have the outstanding reports within the next two to three weeks, and wrote that "Bringing this investigation to a conclusion is a priority, and I will immediately review and release the investigation's findings when I receive the full report."
Many unanswered questions remain, such as the officers' decision to breach the bedroom door the man was sequestered behind, why there were no mental health responders called, details about the approximately 46-second struggle that resulted in Kauvil being shot in the head and two officers shot and wounded, and whether an officer would be charged.
A couple of days after the shooting, Shugrue, in a press conference, said Kauvil was expressing "paranoid delusional" thoughts on social media, and in calls to the FBI's National Threat Operation Center and local 911, leading up to the incident.
Just before 10 a.m. on Jan. 7, the Hinsdale Police Department responded to the Off South Street home for a well-being check and requested mutual aid from Dalton. At 10:58 a.m., there was a radio notification for a taser deployment, and about 15 seconds later, officers advised that shots were fired. Less than one minute later, police requested immediate ambulance response and began rendering aid.
"From preliminary investigations, it has been determined that Mr. Kauvil had a gun in his left hand; he's left-handed. When officers breached the bedroom door, when officers entered the bedroom, one officer was able to wrap his arms around Mr. Kauvil's waist and attempt to restrain him against the wall. However, he maintained the gun," Shugrue said at the press conference.
"Officers worked to restrain him on the bed. Mr. Kauvil's gun then fires. Shortly after the shot, an officer uses the taser. Mr. Kauvil is tased and briefly subdued. However, when the effects of the taser diminish, he again becomes agitated, stating, 'Kill me. Kill me.' The taser was deployed a second time, Mr. Kauvil is once again briefly subdued, but then resumes to struggle. An officer orders Mr. Kauvil to drop the gun, an officer discharges the firearm, and an officer is hit by a single round in friendly fire. And six seconds later, a second round is discharged, striking the civilian, Mr. Kauvil, in the head."
Tags: audit, fatal, police, shooting,
