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Ombudsman presses police on dispatch ping, short hallway interval and less-lethal options
Summary
Ombudsman Willard Ewing questioned whether a building-level ping and officers' positioning affected the response and whether knowledge of the decedent's bipolar disorder and intoxication could have changed use-of-force choices; Detective Tommaso said it was possible but she could not say for certain.
Willard Ewing, the ombudsman appointed to represent both the public and the Walsh family, questioned Detective Tommaso about dispatch procedures and officers' on-scene positioning. Ewing noted that dispatch's ping covered a building (9265 West Russell Road) rather than a specific apartment and that officers searched multiple buildings before locating Apartment 460—facts Tommaso said contributed to a delay between the 07:34:32 911 text and the shooting around 08:00.
Ewing asked whether knowledge of the decedent's bipolar disorder, prescribed medications and alcohol consumption might have altered the officers' response. Tommaso said "it's possible, but I can't say for sure" whether advance knowledge would have changed the outcome. When asked whether officers are less likely to use less-lethal force when a subject has a handgun, Tommaso responded, "They're not gonna meet that with less lethal force when somebody's armed with a deadly weapon."
