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Friends still seeking answers in Han's death
Report finds no drugs, alcohol in system at time of death
By Brad Smith Telegraph Correspondent
Courtesy
Joseph Han

Toxicology screens performed on Joseph Han indicate that the 23-year-old man wasn’t under the influence of drugs or alcohol prior to being shot by Folsom Police officers on Easter Sunday.

The report reveals that Han died from two gunshot wounds — one to his chest, the other to his abdomen. During an altercation with Han, Officer Paul Barber, 32, and Sgt. Ron Peterson, 57, shot at Han. He was transported to UC Davis Medical Center and later died from the gunshot wounds.

Han supporters are happy the report dispels rumors that Han was on drugs.

“I knew (Joseph) wasn’t on anything at the time,” said family friend, Ali Chinnow. She said Han was “a good kid.”

As far as she’s concerned, Chinnow feels that Han “had a breakdown” that day.

“Look, there are more questions to be asked,” she said.

She feels that police need to have more training in dealing with emotionally disturbed people.

“The whole thing, I feel, wasn’t handled properly. Yes, the Folsom Police Department needs to address that problem,” Chinnow said.

She said something must there be done before another tragedy happens.

On the morning of April 12, Han’s family contacted the Folsom Police Department, reporting that he’d been acting strangely for a few days and had locked himself in his bedroom. Family members reported that Han had been hallucinating and refusing to eat. Police arrived and found Han armed with a knife, the blade 4.5 inches long. According to media accounts, the police said that Han had threatened to cut his own throat.

An officer with Barber and Peterson ordered Han to drop the knife. Han refused. The unidentified officer fired his Taser, with only one of the wired probes striking Han. Barber deployed his Taser stunner — again, only one of the probes made full contact. According to police accounts, Han went after Barber and the other officer, menacing them with the knife.

According to police accounts, that is when Barber fired his duty sidearm, possibly hitting Han. In other media reports, the Folsom Police Department stated that Peterson entered the bedroom, also using a Taser. Peterson claimed that Han came at him with the knife. Han, department officials said, was no more than three feet away from Peterson when the officer fired his weapon.

The Sacramento County coroner’s findings reported that Han had been hit by three Taser probes. The most common Taser device used by law enforcement, the X26, uses compressed nitrogen to fire a pair of probes, attached to the Taser unit by 35 feet of insulated wires. Both probes have to make contact with a subject in order to stop a suspect.

Sgt. Rick Hillman, who oversees Folsom’s professional standards division, said that one of the officers’ Tasers had “completely missed” Han. Both probes from one device hit Han while one probe from the other Taser device also hit.

“As for which officer’s Taser hit and whose didn’t, we don’t know,” Hillman said.

Hillman reported that the district attorney’s review of the shooting investigation “is still ongoing.” He said that all involved in the investigation are being thorough.

“A lot of people have questions,” Hillman said, “and hopefully all will be answered when this is over with.”

Barber, Peterson and the other unnamed officer are back on duty, Hillman said.

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