Bid to repay officer to be dropped

-- Richmond City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert is abruptly dropping a proposal to reimburse a police officer for expenses related to a murder charge that ultimately was dismissed.

Hilbert said he changed his mind about the $1,200 payment for officer Edward Aeschlimann after deciding it could be precedent-setting and distracting for the council and new Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

"It does have the potential to not start us off on a good foot with this administration," the 3rd District councilman said Wednesday.

In an interview Tuesday, Hilbert said reimbursement was "the right thing to do." The council is scheduled to vote on the proposal Monday, but Hilbert will recommend it be stricken from the agenda.

He said Wednesday that he had not discussed the matter with Jones but had talked briefly with the mayor's policy analyst, David M. Hicks. Hicks was commonwealth's attorney in 2005 when Aeschlimann and officer Michael Couture were charged with second-degree murder in the 2004 shooting death of Santanna Olavarria during a confrontation after a traffic stop.

Hicks did not return three calls this week seeking comment about the reimbursement.

Hilbert said Hicks did not ask him to drop the proposal. "I don't think he took any offense to it," he said.

The charge against Aeschlimann was dismissed in early 2006 at the request of Commonwealth's Attorney Michael N. Herring, who was elected after Hicks declined to seek another term. Couture was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to a $2,500 fine.

The $1,200 reimbursement would cover the cost of the bond that Aeschlimann posted after his arrest. Attempts this week to reach Aeschlimann through the city police department were unsuccessful.

Attorney David P. Baugh, who represented Couture in his criminal trial, said the reimbursement should be approved.

"When officers are falsely accused of a crime and then are vindicated, I think we, as taxpayers, ought to recompensate them," he said.

In 2004, the City Council approved a reimbursement of $240,147 for legal expenses incurred by Detective David D. Melvin after his acquittal on charges, including second-degree murder, related to the shooting death of Verlon M. Johnson Sr. in 2002.

State law gives localities the discretion to reimburse the legal expenses of employees who are investigated or charged as a result of any official act and they ultimately are cleared. Hilbert said the payment approved for Melvin is different from the one proposed for Aeschlimann because Melvin's case went to trial.

"I think it's very important that we try to stick to the priorities as we venture on with the new administration," Hilbert said, highlighting public safety and education for attention.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or .