Family files damage claims, DA announces findings in Temecula death

Paul Gallaher photo.

Tim O'Leary

Valley News Staff

Friday, January 23^rd, 2009.
Issue 04, Volume 9.

The Old Town Temecula killing of Shaun Adam Vilan – a clash fueled by alcohol and anger – has entered another chapter with a flurry of wrongful death claims and officials clearing an off-duty Costa Mesa police officer of wrongdoing.

The pair of legal actions – damage claims and findings by the Riverside County District Attorney’s office – surface amid planning for another spring vintage car show, which will take place on the anniversary of the March 8, 2008, shooting.

The popular car show typically attracts 55,000 to 60,000 visitors when weather conditions are favorable.

The street fight and shooting occurred after two groups of people – each consuming alcohol at different locations – converged at an Old Town restaurant, where they continued drinking.

Alcohol consumption played a key role in the clash, according to the damage claims and the 24-page report that determined no criminal charges would be filed against Scott Dibble, a 10-year veteran of the Costa Mesa Police Department.

The two documents agree on some points and differ on others.

"There have been a lot of stories and varying views of what happened," said Robert Hamparyan, the San Diego attorney who filed damage claims on behalf of Vilan’s mother, his son and Taylor Willis, who was also shot during the clash near Old Town’s main intersection.

Unwilling to try the case in the press, Hamparyan said he preferred to let the claims speak for themselves. He said he does not want his clients to be interviewed at this stage of the dispute.

Damage claims – which have been filed against Temecula, Riverside County and Costa Mesa – must be presented to government agencies before lawsuits can be filed.

All three jurisdictions have rejected the claims filed against them, officials said in a series of recent interviews.

The claims accuse Costa Mesa of failing to properly train Dibble and for returning him to duty without properly investigating the shooting.

The claims allege that some of Dibble’s drinking companions were fellow off-duty police officers.

The district attorney’s report does not confirm that contention or identify everyone who was with Dibble when the shooting occurred.

"We believe our officer was exonerated by the [Riverside County] district attorney," said Kimberly Hall Barlow, Costa Mesa’s city attorney. "He was acting in self-defense, and beyond that we don’t have any comment."

The claims accuse Temecula police and sheriff’s officials of not properly investigating the incident and for failing to determine Dibble’s blood-alcohol level after the shooting.

They also allege Temecula detectives "concealed material facts relative to the incident and the investigation."

Temecula’s officers investigated the shooting, but Riverside County provides contract law enforcement services to the city.

About a month after the shooting, investigators confirmed that they did not test Dibble’s blood-alcohol level because he was viewed as a victim of the incident.

The district attorney’s report, which was released last week, concluded that Dibble was protecting himself while being attacked by Vilan, Willis and others.

"There was no criminal culpability," John Hall, a district attorney’s spokesman, said in summarizing the report. "It was self-defense."

The report – which quotes interviews with Dibble, Willis and a dozen other witnesses, bystanders and acquaintances who provided input on the case – offers the most detailed accounts of the street fight and shooting thus far.

The interviews included statements from the restaurant’s bouncer, a waitress and friends of Vilan and Dibble.

It relied heavily on the statements of witnesses and onlookers who did not know either of the men.

Some of Vilan’s friends noted that the 30-year-old stock options trader had served a prison term for assault and that he "wouldn’t back down" from a fight or physical dispute.

The confrontation Advertisement
between Dibble and Vilan began to unfold in an outdoor seating area of the Bank of Mexican Food, a two-story historic building at Main and Old Town Front streets.

Accompanied by a designated driver, Dibble, his wife and about four other companions visited three wineries earlier in the day, where they drank wine and the off-duty officer had a beer from they cooler they brought along.

After that, they headed to the car show and the Mexican restaurant, according to the district attorney’s report.

The boxy, two-story yellow restaurant building is a landmark of the historic business district wedged between Interstate 15 and Murrieta Creek.

About the same time, Vilan and several of his companions had finished drinking at other Old Town locations and gathered on the restaurant’s patio.

The two groups came in contact with each other about 6:30 p.m. after the car show had ended and most vendors and visitors had left or were departing.

Vilan became offended after Dibble playfully smacked the buttocks of Nicole Sullivan, a friend of Vilan’s.

Dibble immediately apologized, saying that he mistakenly thought Sullivan was a woman in his group, according to the accounts of several witnesses.

Vilan would not forgive Dibble for the perceived slight, however, and continued to nurse a grudge.

After about 45 minutes had passed, Dibble stepped off the patio to clear his head and was seated in a folding chair when Vilan and others began coming at him "fast in a deliberate way," he told investigators.

Dibble said he was punched in the back of the head and then hit in the forehead with an object that could have been a chair.

He said he identified himself as an off-duty police officer before he fired his gun, wounding Vilan in three places and Willis in two.

While in the ambulance headed to Inland Valley Regional Medical Center in Wildomar, Dibble told paramedics he believed his life was in danger.

"I had no other recourse," Dibble was quoted in the district attorney’s report as saying. "There was nothing else I could do."

The Vilan case is set against a backdrop of growing scrutiny of off-duty police officers carrying firearms while they are drinking alcohol.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies might be barred from carrying firearms when they are under the influence of alcohol, according to a policy change being studied there.

That potential change, reported by the Los Angeles Times, would be one of the toughest policies in the nation.

State law allows police and other law officers to carry concealed weapons while off duty, but individual agencies can craft their own policies.

That newspaper story cited numerous incidents involving intoxicated deputies who used firearms; it also quoted a government attorney saying the issue has long been recognized as a problem for law enforcement.

Costa Mesa doesn’t have such a weapons policy and is not considering one, said police Sgt. Brian Glass.

Dibble’s blood-alcohol level was tested sometime after the shooting for his own department’s internal review.

As is usually the case with internal police investigations, the results of that test were not made available to Riverside County detectives.

Riverside County investigators said Dibble’s blood-alcohol level was immaterial to the outcome of the district attorney’s findings.

"The issue is not whether Dibble had been drinking and his level of intoxication, but whether his actions at the time were reasonable when viewed objectively from the point of view of a rational and sober person," Robert Olson, a supervising deputy district attorney, concluded in his report. "It is apparent from a review of the facts and the law that Scott Dibble acted in reasonable self-defense when he fired at his attackers."

45 comments for "Family files damage claims, DA announces findings in Temecula death"

2:40 pm Fri, Jan 23^rd, 2009

1. Bob says :

Vilan was a bully and a thug who beat an officer with metal chair. If someone was hitting you with a potentially lethal object and you were armed, wouldn't you do the same? Vilan made a choice that night to act out with violence. Hopefully these lawsuits will be laughed out of court.

7:41 am Sat, Jan 24^th, 2009

2. anotherview says :

This news report offers the best account so far of what happened before and during this incident. Yes, the facts as revealed to the public support a finding of self-defense. The off-duty police officer received a beating and lived to tell about it by shooting his attackers. In turn, the ex-convict Mr. Vilan received street justice.

7:41 am Sat, Jan 24^th, 2009

3. joe says :

Only in America can you be a thug crook and still file a case against someone, collect a large sum of money, and still be in the wrong. This guy got what he deserved! you attack anyone, let alone a cop, you should get shot. The sad part of this is that both County's will pay out to the "Thug" family simply to end this ASAP, even though we all know the Officer was the victim. It is nothing new, happens day after day in America, but when will a City or County put it to an end?

7:41 am Sat, Jan 24^th, 2009

4. Al says :

This guy (Vilan) had a history of attacking from behind and taking advantage of anyone he thought was weak. He made a mistake that day, when he picked a fight with Dibble. Justice has been served.

11:33 am Sat, Jan 24^th, 2009

5. evenanotherview says :

I don't know who "anotherview" is but I agree. For those of us that were there we know the truth about the viciousness of this attack that was proceeded by a simple mistake and apology. Street thugs...street fight...cop...gun! Right outcome!

11:33 am Sat, Jan 24^th, 2009

6. joe says :

Well said Al, case closed.

5:00 pm Sun, Jan 25^th, 2009

7. Temecularesident says :

Drinking all day with a loaded weapon? Something is terribly wrong here.

3:01 pm Mon, Jan 26^th, 2009

8. Mike says :

I sure hope they fight this and defeat it . What a joke. Who cares if he was drinking. He sure as hell didn't ask for this to happen to him. Vilan got we he deserved, and has served as an example of what not to do!!! Can't they just let it rest?

3:01 pm Mon, Jan 26^th, 2009

9. Stefanie says :

I find the comments that have been left regarding this article extremely sad. What makes it ok for an officer to slap a woman on her behind, oh wait he thought it was someone else in his party. "WRONG" the woman that he slapped does not only have bright red hair and tattoos covering her back that cannot be missed especially when she was wearing a tank top the day this incident occurred. Shaun was a great person he didn’t deserve to be killed.

7:17 pm Mon, Jan 26^th, 2009

10. Robert says :

Once again family of thugs are looking for a payday handout. This Thug had a history and notice I said "had" now due to a great Police Officer no one else will be beaten by this convicted felon, of course we will have to hear about how wonderful and loving he was as a person from his desperate family and friends. Honestly he was nothing more than a convicted thug that picked the wrong person this time to attack. This was not his only time he attacked someone who he did not like or agree with we are just hearing about this incident because he made a poor choice and paid for it! OH well one less convict we have to watch in the valley!

7:18 pm Mon, Jan 26^th, 2009

11. Shoop says :

Any non-cop would have gone down for Dibble's crime, you can be sure of that. Only a drunk off duty cop could shoot two people during a scuffle and immediately be labeled the victim and never even see a pair of handcuffs (and aren't cops trained to defuse situations such as this, or call for backup, if they really feel their lives are being threatened...Dibbles other cop friends were present too! There is no way Dibble was really fearing for his life. It's absurd!) And Riverside County Sheriffs did NOT even take Dibbles BAC depite several testimonials, at the scene, that Dibble was intoxicated and did NOT in fact identify himself as a cop before shooting. But, isn't it funny that they took Shaun's BAC, after he had been pronounced dead, and then released that info to the public? If Dibble's BAC wasn't important than why was Shaun's? Moreover, if what Stefanie says above is true, about the "slappee" being totally unique from behind with her exposed tattoos, then either Dibble was too drunk to notice her entirely tattooed back or he knowingly harrassed a random woman by slapping her butt (which seems to hav eled to later events). In any case, there needs to be a law that NO cop can carry a firearm while out drinking. Why did Dibble bring his gun along on a trip to the winery with friends anyway? REALLY! what was he trying to prove? And for ALL those of you who say Shaun was a street thug, who deserved what he got, you should really be ashamed of yourself for wishing daeth on any father, son, friend, or brother. What if all your teenage skeletons were revealed to the public and you could not defend yourself? Have you never done naything stupid when you were a teenager?! Shaun turned his life around and it sounds like he was really loved and will be really missed--clearly he was NOT just a thug. How dare you say he deserved death, who are you anyway?

6:00 am Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

12. Leia De La O says :

I did not know Shaun or "Billy the kid",but did ANY OF YOU who posted these awful comments?! Shaun is dead and Mr. Willis shot too! Shaun was a Son, Father, Lover, Friend, he was probably someone's shoulder to cry on. I wonder if it was your son, father, or confidant who was shot and killed would you still have the same views? His poor family is suffering, please think of that. Alchohol played the part in this disaster, and altered both parties frame of mind DRASTICALLY! being a police officer don't you shoot an unruly citizen in the leg, foot or arm before you kill them? I would just like people to "get it", if you were the Vilan wouldn't you do EVERYTHING you could to make sense of this situation? I do not think this has ANYTHING to do with money! And it has not even been a year, let them grieve without the scorn of closed minded people!

6:00 am Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

13. Temecula resident says :

From what I read, Dibble had A beer throughout the day. And even if he had 1, 2, or 3 beers throughout the ENTIRE day, he would not be intoxicated by any means.

Schoop, maybe you are right and Vilan had turned his life around. Obviously, based on his time in prison, he made some serious mistakes in his past. And again, obviously, he was rehabilitated in prison and learned from his mistakes. This was made clear when he chose to call the police and file a complaint against Dibble for his apparent mistaken actions.

WRONG!!! Vilan learned absolutely nothing in prison. In traditional form he started a fight, like he had done many times in the past and to his detriment this time it was with someone that was not willing to take an unnecessary beating and risk serious injury or death.

Those of you that call yourself friends of Vilans I suggest you rethink your position. If you were present that night you have only one person to blame. YOURSELVES!

As Friends, you are the people Vilan would have listened to when you told him to let it go..move on..forget it.

Some of you "friends" even decided to join in on the beating. I guess Vilan kept like company. Sadly, you are all forgetting this important fact.

regrettably Vilans son will have to grow up without a father. As sad as that it is, it may be for the best. If his son had the opportunity to watch his father as he grows, he could have seen and learned from his mistakes. Now he will be forced to listen to misguided opinions from his "friends" that caused his fathers death.

Not trying to attack the "friends" but true is true.

Vilan is the main person to blame because he acted foolishly and paid the ultimate price for it. Rather than thinking about fighting, he should have been thinking about how lucky he was to have the opportunity to spend the rest of his life with his son. Apparently Fighting was more important to him.

And you "friends" call him a good and loving father???

While you "friends" are missing him, think about how YOU could have avoided this situation and helped your buddy Vilan make the right decision.

As for the police officer...I think that any reasonable person who was being attacked by one or more people, who were using objects like chairs to hit me with and kicking me while I was down, would regretfully have to do whatever we could to save their lives.

None of the apparent witnesses were stopping the attack. And let’s remember that it only takes 1 lucky/unlucky strike to kill someone. And Vilan was apparently a seasoned fighter. That is what landed him in prison.

I wouldn't take that chance and I don't think that any REASONABLE person would.

Dibble will now have to live with the fact that he took a human life. I hope that while he thinks about that dreadful day he knows that HE WAS IN THE RIGHT to defend himself and preserve his life at all cost.

4:07 pm Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

14. Friend says :

Temecula Resident: were you there? If not then, respectfully, I do not think you really have the right to say what Shaun’s friends should or should not have done. Shaun was out for a day of fun with his family and friends. Yes, it is an unimaginable tragedy that Shaun's son will endure; Shaun's son will have to be without a father for the rest of his life, so how can you still say that Shaun got what he deserved?! I was there, hugging Shaun goodbye (after he and our party left the patio portion of the Bank restaurant) probably less than 5 minutes before I heard the gunshots. It happened that fast! When I left Shaun's side he was NOT angry and either were any of our other friends. There was no hint of a fight about to ensue, and Shaun was not looking to settle any score—those are the facts. Shaun loved his son too much and both he and his friends were too faithful and too decent to try and maliciously attack a cop; besides, even if they had done just that, hypothetically, it would not make any sense considering everyone (including Shaun) was well aware of how much Shaun had to lose, should he ever put himself in that sort of situation. When Dibble slapped Shaun's friend on the butt earlier that evening, on the patio portion of the Bank restaurant, Dibble was escorted out of the bar by the bar bouncer, only to be brought back around into the restaurant portion of the Bank so he could continue to drink (because Dibble knew the owner and the owner instructed a waitress to continue serving him despite the patio incident.)! After Dibble was escorted off the patio, Shaun totally let that incident go; Shaun and our party resumed our evening out. It’s not like Shaun was some deranged maniac, carrying a loaded gun in his pocket, looking for trouble. It was much later in the evening that Shaun went to walk some friends around the corner of the Bank of Mexican Food Restaurant to their car that the shooting ensued. Minutes before the shooting I hugged Shaun goodbye, and when Shaun and friends turned the corner I lost sight of them, and that was it; they were not running around the corner after anybody. I heard later that Dibble was sitting around the corner in a chair he had pulled from his truck/car and that it was Dibble who actually verbally accosted Shaun and friends. Remember that reports say that Dibble walked out of the restaurant in the middle of dinner to go sit around the corner, and what, wait for Shaun and his friends? Dibble could clearly see out of the [Bank restaurant] window that Shaun and his group of friends were leaving, and yes, Dibble was that aggressive that night and that intoxicated. Why else would Dibble suddenly need to exit the restaurant, during dinner, to "clear his head" at the very same moment Shaun and his friends/family were departing the patio portion of the restaurant. Either Dibble was so intoxicated that he needed the cold air or Dibble was looking for a confrontation (or one led to the other). We must be open minded enough to realize that just because Dibble is protected by a badge does not automatically mean he is a hero when he kills someone who has a past; Dibble’s badge does not mean he can do no wrong or make bad decisions. Most cops are uneducated people with a large documented percentage of domestic abuse cases and anger issues who without “the institution” would be holding unskilled jobs just like any regular Joe; and, regular Joes are not allowed to conceal a weapon while out drinking all day. It has also been noted, in certain Bank employee testimonies, that the Bank doctored the final Dibble party tab to cover up any liability they feared facing for continuing to serve Dibble alcohol though he was clearly intoxicated and had slapped a random woman on the behind earlier that night. That slap perfectly illustrates the kind of man Dibble is--I wonder what Dibble's wife has to say about all this?

4:10 pm Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

15. Family of thugs huh....nice! says :

1 beer from his PORTABLE COOLER, after the 3 wineries before the mexican food joint?! RIGHHHHHT! And remember the man who was killed at E.T.s because he was trying to break up a fight? YOU NEVER EVER BREAK UP A FIGHT! Dibble would have shot anyone during the ordeal if they were to get involved. It was probably too crazy to have known the difference between the attackers and someone trying to be a good samaritan! And he shot Vilan 3 TIMES and Willis 2 TIMES! Try ONCE! I'm pretty sure they would have stopped! These are cops invesigating cops what do you think the outcome would be? And Dibble had a designated driver so he was probably drinking more than he led on! Wouldn't you to save ur ass and especailly if there was no blood alcohol test taken! I don't know about the rest of you, but when there is a designated driver it's time to drink! If he were drunk driving and killed someone would it have been in "self-defense" too? or if he was pulled over while drunk driving he would have been on his merry little way home, because he would have pulled the " I'm a cop" card! Come on people you know that is true! And ASSAULTING someone who isn't your wife is pretty "THUG" like too!Saying Vilan was not a loving/good father is wrong! How would you know? Not everyone who makes stupid mistakes is a bad person or parent, and you are not always the company you keep! I know this from having many friends who acted in anger because of drinking, and there was not even anything brought on by it, just a look! I am NOT like that at all and no longer associate with such people, but at the time I was there trying to have a good time, not thinking something would go wrong. so please don't judge people who were there just trying to have a good night not knowing what would happen! There are some people who can't handle their alcohol 1 was murdered, 1 shot twice, & 1 was attacked by a group of people so sad! :( Are there good people anywhere anymore? I'm losing hope in the town I once loved!

4:11 pm Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

16. flipside says :

Leia De La O, you are probably right when you say the Shaun was a son, father, lover, and friend. What you failed to mention is the part about being a convicted felon who served years in prison, habitual fighter and bully, cheap shot artist (I base this on the fact that he, and his friends, attacked 1 man) and complete moron.
This guy apparently made mistakes and paid for them throughout his life. Temecula resident is absolutely right. Why did he have to go start a fight? Why not be the bigger man and walk away? 99 % of the public would have. I guess that’s why criminals are referred to as the 1%.
He should have been home with his son acting like a responsible father. Instead he was out drinking acting foolishly with his buddies.
Did you read this story at all? “After about 45 minutes had passed” and then Shaun Vilan and his buddies approached Dibble. Why would they do this? Why didn’t Dibble approach them? The answer is very simple. Dibble was thinking clearly and the others were not. Dibble knew that it would be irresponsible, reckless, dangerous and no doubt costly to engage in a physical altercation with a party that had clearly been consuming large quantities of alcohol.
So Dibble makes a mistake, apologizes immediately, goes outside(probably out of embarrassment) and to avoid any conflict with others, and then 45 minutes later is viciously attacked by a party of men who hit, kick, and use dangerous weapons like chairs to injure him.
Yep! You called it. According to you logic, if I am getting beat down by a bunch of men that are hitting me, kicking me and throwing objects at me, I should just sit their and take the beating and pray that I survive. ARE YOU KIDDING???
To answer your question “being a police officer don't you shoot an unruly citizen in the leg, foot or arm before you kill them?” the very simple answer is NO!
You NEVER aim for the leg, foot, or arm, especially in a crowded environment. You aim “center mass” which would be in the chest area to minimize the risk of missing and shooting a bystander. You shoot to stop the threat. PERIOD.
Not even the most skilled professionals in law enforcement or the military aim for the foot, arm or leg. That only happens in the movies where you have endless amounts of ammunition and you never miss…..unless the director tells you to.

4:11 pm Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

17. Mike says :

Good points Temecula Resident. I only disagree with one thing. Shaun was known to gang -up on, and assault people with weapons. (preferably broken beer bottles) I wouldn't exactly call a punk like that a "seasoned fighter"??

4:11 pm Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

18. Question? says :

To Temecula Resident: One beer throughout the day? He was at four wineries before this incident wine tasting. Did you personal know Shaun personal? Cause if you did u would know how much he loved his son. If someone touched you wife, daughter, sister or mother inapproptly, and they were upset would u stand there and say oh well deal with it, I don’t want there to be any problems.... I think not...

6:59 pm Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

19. Temecula Resident says :

Mike, you are correct. I only used that term because compared to most law abiding citizens he has been a lot of fights. That, and the fact that he went to prison for fighting. We can only imagine how many fights he got in there.

Question, I don't really care if he was completely drunk. He still has the legal right to defend himself when under the attack of a group of men armed with chairs.

No, gladly I did not know Shaun. I am sure that he loved his son. I am only saying that apparently he either loved fighting more than his son or he was just an irresponsible idiot. Why risk going back to prison by getting involved in more fights?

Don't try to defend his actions by saying that he was defending the woman. The simple fat is that she was in NO DANGER. In Fact, your buddy Shaun waited 45 minutes after the original incident and then attacked the cop.

What that means is that he was only interested in fighting...not protecting.

By the way, if it was that important to Shaun and his buddies to have the cop pay for his actions they should have called the police and filed a report. Or if after 45 minutes they still felt that the female’s life was in danger they could called 911.

And to answer your final question, the ONLY time I would get in a fight is if an IMEDIATE threat was posed to anyone around me. I most certainly wouldn’t wait...45 minutes....drink some more.... talk with my buddies....get all worked up ....and then go get in a fight.

I actually love my kids enough to think responsibly and act appropriately.

P.S. Question, next time you decide to chime in defense of someone, please take an English lesson or use spell check. You illiterate rambling is confusing and hard to follow.

7:00 pm Tue, Jan 27^th, 2009

20. Friend says :

To Flipside: Dibble did not smack the woman's butt then go outside (for 45 min?) because he was "embarrassed"...after Dibble smacked the woman's butt (very forcefully) and she turned around Dibble sarcastically retorted "I thought you were my sister, ha!" to be exact) that can hardly be called an apology! And, although Dibble was then technically thrown out of the patio area he was then escorted inside of the restaurant where he continued to drink with friends for a good 45 minutes or so.

Also, you are either a cop or you have seen one two many episodes of Cops but you are right that cops shoot to kill. However, were 5 shots really necessary, especially considering Shaun and Taylor were running away while Dibble was still shooting! Taylor was shot once in the buttocks (from behind!) and once in the side of his thigh (as he was running away!). I am not sure about Shaun’s wounds because there have been people at the hospital (that Shaun was admitted to) who have said that they are angered by the mistruths of the medical and police reports made that night regarding Shaun’s wounds (that they are angry FOR Shaun and his family). Shaun was probably shot from behind too, what else would the police be trying to cover up??

7:53 am Wed, Jan 28^th, 2009

21. dr says :

This was a horrible day for Temecula, one way or the other. It seems that it could have been avoided thorough better policing of the area during and after the rod run. From what I have read, Mr. Vilan had a propensity for violent behavior, and I have no sympathy for the way he handled the situation. However, if the situation was as volatile as it obviously was, a sober police officer and the management of the establishment should have handled the situation before it became a crime scene, and no, any police officer who has been drinking should not be allowed to discharge a weapon, period. As much as I suspect that Vilan was at fault, i can not help but believe he should be sitting in a county jail for violating his parole instead of being mourned by his loved ones. And Dibble's level of intoxication should be disclosed, to vindicate one side or the other.

7:53 am Wed, Jan 28^th, 2009

22. Murrieta Mike says :

Uhh, I don't think anyone who has commented was there?? Maybe a few of Shauns freinds, but, obviously, the reason this cop wasn't prosecuted was due to the overwelming eye-witness accounts! And, what really happened was seen by a lot of people. Let's face it, if this was a cop gone bad, he would have been hung out to dry. I don't think the police want bad apples, just as much as the rest of society doesn't!! If this guy was in the wrong, his own department would have used this case as an example of how they take care of rogue cops!! Quit bringing up the Alchohol defense!!! Remember Vilan was apparently drinking all day too? And I don't think this is an example of why cops shouldn't carry firearms while off-duty!!

4:55 pm Wed, Jan 28^th, 2009

23. Yvonne Avis says :

There is NEVER a reason for anyone at all to carry around a gun when there is alcohol involved. Weather you are an off duty Police Officer or you are a Professional Hunter or a regular citizen. There are many good reasons why Law Enforcement pull folks over & issue DUI's. This is because it is a known fact that alcohol impairs everyone’s judgments. This off duty Police Officer IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW. This incident and many others across USA are perfect examples of Police Officer's who believe they are above the law.
As for the Temecula resident that states, this off duty Police Officer has the LEGAL RIGHT to defend himself. YOU ARE A COMPLETE IDIOT. 1st of all, if all he was doing was defending himself why it that the victim was shot three times. (Let’s just say OVERKILL) I would believe this complete line of bullshit had this Officer Dibble, shot once to wound him in maybe a leg, an arm, hell in his piss pump. I know for a fact that Police Officers are trained to defuse situations like this not starts them. This Officer Dibble & his fellow off duty Officer Friends should all be fired & be sent to prison like any other citizen would have been. All the other off duty Officers are just as much at fault as there DRUNK Dribble. All the Officers were AIDING & ABETTING in this crime, and they all should be prosecuted as such.
I for one, do not want Police Officers like these to protect me & my family. All Police Officers take an oath when the become officers. The oath is very clear, that they will SERVE & PROTECT. These Officers did not protect, they were drunk & instigated the situation. Then with Dibble's impaired state of mind decided to unload his gun on Shaun & innocent bystanders. Dibble & his fellow Officer's should be prosecuted like any other individual citizen. THESE OFF DUTY POLICE OFFCERS WERE NOT EVEN GIVEN A BREATHALYZER, OR PLACED IN HANDCUFF’S LIKE ANYONE ELSE WOULD HAVE BEEN. I am sick & tired of Law Enforcement covering up for each other & not holding someone in Law Enforcement up to the same standards of living the rest of us need to abide by. I am a tax paying citizen, mother of 5 kids myself, I get up every Freaking day go to work, pay my bills, have fun with my children, have to punish them we they have broken the rules & when my children get older they will have to abide by the same rules as me. If they break the law they will have to pay the consequences of their actions & so should these off duty Officers.
Temecula Resident, Why don't you say who you are? You are a hypocrite to judge other's with out knowing the entire truth or facts as to why & when someone may have gotten on the wrong side of the law. I would suggest unless you are willing to say who you are & stop hiding behind Temecula resident, that you keep your thoughts & opinions to yourself. Obviously you have absolutely no idea what the HELL you’re ever talking about. You claim, wait let me quote you "I actually love my kids enough to think responsibly and act appropriately. You can write what ever the hell you want, however all you’re doing is make yourself look more like an ASS. You can sit there and say you love your children & act responsibly, however I am absolutely sure & I would bet a year's pay that you have NEVER been faced with a situation such as this, so you could not accurately state how you would react to a any situation that may arise when you are impaired with alcohol. I am absolutely 100% positively certain that if the tables were turned & it was your son who was shot by a DRUNK OFF DUTY POLICE OFFICER, you would not say the things you have said about Shaun, someone you admittedly do not know at all. You are the BIGGEST BIGOT I have seen or heard from in a while. Let me just tell you the definition of bigot; One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ. You can not say how you would react to any situation unless you are confronted with the same circumstance as another to know if your way is right or wrong, acceptable or not. To write SHIT about Shaun, a person you don't even know, apparently in you close minded eyes “loved fighting more then he love his kid” is absolutely absurd. Wait then we have the # 1 IDIOT TEMECULA RESIDENT, saying that Shaun is an irresponsible idiot. This is a prime example of the saying "The teapot calling the kettle black." It’s all IRONY, isn't it.
I can say, that I have absolutely NO idea how I would react to a situation such as this one. I can say that I am deeply saddened for all that were involved that fatal evening. I can also say that I do not know anyone of the folks involved, however there is no winners in this at all. Everyone involved & there respectful families from Shaun's,to the off duty police officers, to the woman that was assaulted. I pray everyday for peace for all the lives that have been affected by this very sad event.

4:55 pm Wed, Jan 28^th, 2009

24. cody w. says :

the people that are commenting on this topic saying its ok for a cop to carry his firearm while he/she has been drinking are IDIOTS....thats like saying its ok to drink and drive. why are you not allowed to drive under the influence in this country???? anybody? BECAUSE IT IMPAIRS YOUR JUDGEMENT. so what makes you think you can use good judgement brandishing a firearm while your drunk? the cop used bad judgement and some one is dead because of it. you say street justice. i say if i see you get into your car after you've been drinking and some one breaks your skull open with a bat....street justice. doesnt seem right does it. who cares if he was a thug. his girlfriend was goosed by a drunk cop with a gun. what would you do in that situation? im betting that most of you men would take a shot at the guy who did it. if not then you need to get yourself some M.A.N.

4:56 pm Wed, Jan 28^th, 2009

25. Question? says :

Temecula Resident, You really don’t care if he was completely drunk. He still has the legal right to defend himself when under attack of a group of men armed with chairs….
LMAO…. A chair, which Dibble was sitting on that came from his own vehicle. I think that you might have a different option if it was your child that was shot by a cop that had been drinking. Well maybe not cause you don’t care if he was completely drunk.
I’m so happy that you know it all due to you having telepathy and you knew exactly what Shaun and Dibble were thinking that night. I’m also amazed that you knew the feelings of the woman that was slapped on the butt.
And to you smart ass PS remark, you can write whatever you would like about the way I write. That’s doesn’t bother me at all. I actually find it comical that you need to cut a person down that is making a comment on an article. That just shows what type of person you are!

7:06 pm Wed, Jan 28^th, 2009

26. Robert says :

Yvonne Avis time for your Meds! You truely believe what you are saying? The Police Officer was getting beat down by more than one person and all you can come up with is "Police Officers are trained to defuse situations like this not starts them" He was getting beat by a covicted fellon with a chair and you think he should have talked his way out of it! Laughable! God forbid if someone breaks into your house! I am sure when the Police come rushing to your house and the bad guy is about to take your life that you tell them to talk him down...yea you would be screaming shoot him shoot him! It is funny how people who have no Deadly force training or who have never been put in a situation that deadly force was needed come up with oh just talk to them, or shoot them in the leg..gezzzz thank God your not in the Military or a COP we would all be screwed!

9:11 am Thu, Jan 29^th, 2009

27. Editor-Shannon says :

I am done trying to edit out all of the offensive words in some of these comments.

If your comments have curse words, swear words or offensive language in them I am just going to delete them from now on.

Act like human beings people.

5:42 pm Thu, Jan 29^th, 2009

28. RU kidding says :

Cody, awful bold of you to claim that every else is an idiot and they are not men if they don't punch some guy out.

Obviously you have not learned a thing by this tragedy. Take away the cop and gun factor in this scenario for a minute. What if a bystander jumped in the fight and hit Vilan over the head with a beer bottle. Vilan is seriously hurt or dead. Would that have made the situation better. The answer is NO! (I used the beer bottle analogy because that is what sent Vilan to prison)

The fact is that the entire incident could/should have been avoided.

To Friend, Family of thugs huh....nice!, Yvonne Avis, and the others that defend Dibble....Put your friendship aside and realize that your buddy Vilan screwed up. And lets not try and defend him like he was some innocent, loving family man that ran into the big bad police man.

Vilans, and his buddies, have a long history of fighting and causing trouble. Vilan went to prison over it. We can only guess about his buddies.

Temecula residents point was not taken correctly when he stated that he/she didn’t care if Dibble was drinking. His/Her point is obviously that Vilan and his buddies should not have got into a fight and especially not hit a person with a chair. they beat this guy until he feared for his life.......way over the top......

Vilan paid the ultimate price for acting stupid and now his son will be fatherless..

Good thinking daddy.

5:42 pm Thu, Jan 29^th, 2009

29. Stefanie says :

The one thing that bothers me the most and the question that I have is: Was Dibble walking around all day with a loaded weapon or when he left the restaurant that night to step outside to get air, did he go get a gun out of his vehicle intending to kill Shaun. If so I believe that is first degree murder. If he was off duty officer I don’t understand why he would fell the need to carry around a loaded weapon in the vicinity of over 10 thousand people.

Comment Continued : The comment above was written from the same location.

5:42 pm Thu, Jan 29^th, 2009

30. Yvonne Avis says :

Editor-Shannon
My apologies to you for my language. That was not my initial intentions. I have however cleaned it up & I believe that you will not have a problem with my language again. I truly hope that you will post the cleaned up version of my post. I will make sure I watch my language in the future. Thank you,

Comment Continued : The comment above was written from the same location.

5:45 pm Thu, Jan 29^th, 2009

31. Yvonne Avis says :

Well Robert, your about as ignorant as Temecula Resident or maybe you are one in the same. I never said talk them down, I said that Police Officers are trained to defuse situation. Officer Dribble acted irresponsible & broke many laws himself. I believe it was said by SHOOP in earlier posts that "Any non-cop would have gone down for Dibble's crimes". Lots of folks have said that Vilan was a "THUG" and deserved what he got, many have said that Dribble was the victim, many have said that Vilan was the one drinking. Each and everyone of you see only half the picture. All of you who think because someone makes bad choices in life they should be convicted or shunned for the rest of their lives. Well, I believe in God, & Jesus, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. (Vilan who again I do not know personally) Vilan from what I have read made some very bad choices in his life & was convicted, he did his time & paid his consequences & paid his debt to society.
The facts in my opinion are simple. There was obviously a lot of alcohol consummation with both parties groups involved however, most of you are close minded ignorant people only want to point out that Vilan was intoxicated. although Vilan was a convicted felon prior to this incident that has ABSOLUTELY NO BARRING on what really happened that night. I would bet my life that most of you close minded ignorant people were not even there, but for some reason you still feel it necessary to scorn the surviving family & friends of this "THUG" as you say, & that he deserved to die. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. No one wants to admit that Officer Dribble was obviously drunk & impaired himself, instead you and many others have said you DIDN'T CARE IF THE COP WAS DRUNK.
Lets all take a step back for a moment and test a theory out.
What if this was a pilot who had been drinking? Huh, do you think he should still be allowed to fly the plane. Wait, don't answer yet! What if it was the Physician, or Surgeon that was there to save your life? huh, do you think the nurse should hand them the scalpel. I bet your answer to both questions would have been NO. Funny how that works you take out all the miscellaneous bullshit & focus on the real facts & you as well as most others will come to a very different conclusion.
Let's try to remember the facts as they have been given or reported in the news papers & posts from folks that were actually there.
1. both parties were intoxicated
2. both parties had exercised bad choices & impaired judgment
3. "THIS THUG" & his friends supposedly was attaching a cop with the deadly weapon of a chair. wait I am sorry it was reported that it was a metal chair, this now made the chair the deadly weapon
4. Dribble pulls out a loaded gun (last I heard that was a deadly weapon, NO QUESTION there)
5. Dribble who is a COP remember unloads his weapon shooting Vilan three times one of the shoots through his back & his heart. was the fatal shoot, one poor guy even got shot in the Butt, & then two more bullets in the walls of the establishment.
Everyone of you IGNORANT, CLOSE MINDED PEOPLE want to throw back out there again & again that Vilan was a CONVICTED FELON & is now DEAD & society should hale Dribble as a FREAKING HERO, because he put a stop to Vilan & Vilan the "THUG" can no longer hurt anymore law abiding citizens. I will not hale this CORRUPT COP as a hero & no one else should either.
Dribble broke many laws that evening, I am not in law enforcement but as I said earlier that SHOOP said it best that "Any non-cop would have gone down for Dibble's crimes." Any non-cop would have been handcuffed immediately, given a BAC, & charged with several felony counts such as for starters: drunk in public, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, excessive force, concealed weapon, oh & wait for it.......,MURDER. This is the screwed up society that we all live in right now. Cops will cover up for Cops. Heck are churches are not even safe, we have priest MOLESTING our precious children. We see day after day, time & time again where Law Enforcement around the world is caught on video tape taking the law in their own hands, using excessive force, corruption everywhere.
The sad thing today is that with out video taped evidence to back up the many witness that were actually there that night, Law Enforcement will stand behind their own & discount the folks that witnessed exactly what happened. Does any one remember Rodney King LA riots. I believe the riots were a direct result of Law Enforcement getting away with a slap on the hand. Corruption, corruption, corruption.
By the way Robert is it, I NEVER said to talk them down. I said defuse the situation. Apparently you don't even know what your talking about. If you have read or fallowed this case at all you would remember reading that their were other off duty cops also involved, So even if the "thug Vilan" had attacked the unsuspecting Dribble just waiting out side near his car. Why didn't the other off duty cops help out their fellow comrade. I would bet again that Dribble nor any of his fellow officers fear for their lives. Someone said in earlier post that Vilan was a seasoned fighter, & well Law Enforcement also goes through a rigorous training of self defense & how to take down suspects with deadly force. Vilan did not have a gun & clearly Dribble had every intention to shoot to kill when he shoots off 6 rounds three of the in them in Vilan the TRUE VICTIM in this case. All I can do now is pray that Vilan is in a better place now & that Dribble will one day be judged on his judgment day with God. Dribble will have to live with the TRUTH that he knows he KILLED, MURDERED a son, father, friend.

7:33 am Fri, Jan 30^th, 2009

32. Robert says :

Yvonne, I meant no disrespect to you by copying the words you used I was just to lazy to type them myself! The diffrence here between Dribble and Vilan is "The Law" the Officer was well within his rights as a Police Officer to carry a weapon....as you said any other person would have gone down for the same act...and you are more than likely
correct. It would have been "Unlawful for them to carry a weapon" so your argument hold no water. I do think this is a tragic event for everyone involved and I do have a heart I feel for his family and his son of course, however the choice that Vilan made was a poor one and he paid for it with his life. When you said that Police Officer are to "defuse the situation" well you are correct that is exactly what the police officer did he defused it with the force that he felt was necessary and was lawfully authorized to do so, so infact he did defuse the situation. Every situation is diffrent that is why the Police are trained to use deadly force when it is required and thank God most times it is not. I never once said he deserved to die however due to his choices that is what happened, I did say that the valley will be better off which I admit was a bit insencetive so for that I am sorry. I also beleive in forgiving a person for their mistakes as we all are not perfect but it appears that Vilan did not learn right from wrong. Look at his past and then how he reacted well the past repeats itself once again...so had he truned his life around?
The other question is who knows if the Officer was drunk? you base your fact that the Officer was drunk and we have no proof that either one was that intoxicated but we do have proof even verified by witnesses that Vilan and a friend were beating Dribble that is a fact so who was drinking or not is a non factor.
The funny thing is you comment on how the COPS are seen day after day using to much force and are corrupt..let me ask you something you ever been to a prison? You want to see corruption go there and visit the people who are there and then we can talk corruption...99.9% of Police Officers are good people who work very hard to protect us so to paint them all with one wide brush is wrong.
Yvonne, I do appreciate your thoughful ideas and you have some good ones so if I offened you in any way I am sorry. We just see things diffrently. Lets just hope that we never need to discuss this type of thing again in our valley.

7:34 am Fri, Jan 30^th, 2009

33. Murrieta Mike says :

Well that's life in the big city!! Unfortunately ,society does judge by your actions and past actions!! That's just the way it is!!"Especially Violent Actions"!! Maybe if Shaun was a sweetheart of a guy , he would have a lot more sympathy. But, then again, if he was a sweetheart of a guy, he wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place? Yvonne, you sure pour out a lot of emotion and anger for someone who claims they didn't know Vilan?? Or maybe you just had too many bad run-ins with the Police? Also, I'm not an expert on this, but ,I beleive police officers have always been allowed to carry weapons while off-duty!I beleive it's almost expected? And well, sometimes while off duty, they can get into some bad situations? The fact of the matter is that we,as society, do give sworn law enforcement officers that right!! Or should I say duty? And yes they are given special treatment because of it!! That's why situations like this are investigated by District Atorney's offices and internal affairs!! If there was sufficient evidence to back up your accusations, then Dibble would be facing some serious charges!! But, he's not!!

7:35 am Fri, Jan 30^th, 2009

34. common sense says :

Yvonne Avis you are wacky. Please tell me that you are using a computer in a mental hospital that you are locked up in..

1. Funny how you get all religious AFTER you get scolded for your potty mouth. Very Christian of you...

2. There are NO "facts in your opinion" at all. Only the misguided illogical ranting of a dimwit.

3. You attack Dibble supporters by saying that they were close minded and that they were not there. Neither were you and you are picking sides. Again, the misguided illogical ranting of a dimwit.

4. You CLAIM that both parties were intoxicated. What are you a toxicologist with telepathy? There are no supporting facts to this statement. Again, the misguided illogical ranting of a dimwit.

5. A chair, bat, stick, knife, pole, etc. can all be considered deadly weapons when used as such. Get a clue.

6.The "poor guy" that got shot in the butt was one of the attackers. If Vilan wasn’t the guy with the chair we can say that ol' buttshot was. Why did it take 2 guys to beat up on one. where is the fairness in that. Apparently Dibble had to even the odds. 2 guys, 1 with chair, beating him while he is down.

7. Vilan is a convicted felon...and went to prison...for viciously attacking someone with a beer bottle(felony)(deadly weapon). So he has a history of doing this sort of thing. That does not mean that he deserved to die but it is relevant.

8."drunk in public, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, excessive force, concealed weapon, oh & wait for it.......,MURDER." Well, no on the drunk in public. Doesn’t qualify unless he cannot care for himself. Obviously he could. Not on assault...self defense. no on adw...doesn’t apply...self defense...no on concealed weapon...he has a permit for that....no on...wait for it.....murder...ARE YOU KIDDING. Lets say that he didn’t shoot and a kick, hit or strike with the chair kills Dibble (who was already down), what then? So actually Schoop was wrong because no actual crimes were committed. SELF DEFENSE. I guess Vilan is the hero in your dysfunctional mind.

9. Maybe Dibble did try to "diffuse" the situation and Vilan, and his buddies, could not be "diffused". There goes that theory. A group of men attacked 1 man and used weapons. they continued to beat him when he was down. That is inexcusable. There is your "EXCESSIVE FORCE".

10. Yes, law enforcement goes through training in self defense and take maneuvers. That does not make them indestructible. Ever wonder why Mike Tyson isn’t the champ anymore.....he got beat....Everyone loses eventually...even the professional fighters.

11. Dibble will in fact, live with the REAL truth...He was attacked by many men, armed with something that could cause serious harm or death. In self defense and out of fear for his life he did what he probably prayed that he would never have to do in his life...and career. Take a life. I am sure that the man that sees all was watching and is giving Vilan a swift kick in the rear for is irresponsible actions.

12. Yvonne, the simple truth is that none of this should have happened. Dibble should not have made the mistake of slapping anyone’s rear end and Vilan and the others should not have made the mistake of viciously attacking a man and going way beyond any legal boundary.

I am not saying that Vilan deserved to die. He didnt.

Dibble, however, did not deserve to get beat down by the group of men that were armed with a chair. However the fight started, we don't really know, is irrelevant. The simple fact is that the fight was not fair from the start and it got ugly.

Noone desevres to get beat down in the street like Dibble did...

Oh yeah, "Can't we all just get along???"

7:35 am Fri, Jan 30^th, 2009

35. Yvonne Avis says :

Attention: RU Kidding, you have a lot of nerve to say that we all should take out the FACTS: that Dribble was a COP & that Dribble was the one with the GUN, however you & other's are stuck on the past & that Vilan was a convicted Felon. You are throwing in facts that don't even matter. & you are assuming that I and others are only blaming Dribble. I have said very clearly that this was a very sad event, & I have also admitted that I do not know any of the individuals involved. I have NEVER claimed to have been there that fateful night.
I am saying that for you and so many others to say things like Vilan is dead because that's what he deserved & to constantly bring up Vilan's past & yet set aside or neglect to take in account the other SOLID FACTS in this case 1. Dribble was an off duty police officer. 2. he had a loaded concealed weapon. 3. Dribble unloaded his GUN on Vilan with the intent to SHOOT TO KILL. I have NEVER said that Vilan did not also act irresponsibly. Both parties acted irresponsibly, and all involved were intoxicated.
RU Kidding, Temecula Resident, & Robert obviously were not there either, & yet all of you post your opinions & talk crap to the family members & friends of Vilan. Say crap like Vilan is the only one who screwed up that fatal night. Dribble & the other off duty cops that were there ALL SCREWED UP THAT NIGHT. For you and others to put all the blame on Vilan outrageous & stupid knowing full well that if the tables were turned & anyone of you people were in the same circumstances would probably feel the same way. Your all are just so close minded and ignorant & I will pray for all of you that you will NEVER have to live through something as horrible as this.
Also why wont any of you people say who you are? I would bet because each and everyone of you have probably been in some kind of trouble with the law before or have made some bad choices in your life. If your gonna voice your opinions or post comments say who you are & stop hidding behind stupid screen names.

7:36 am Fri, Jan 30^th, 2009

36. RETIRED PD says :

Stafanie, To answer your question, many people in law enforcement carry firearms while off duty for various reasons. I think the most important is the possibility of encountering someone that you met while at work(i.e. Criminals). Believe it or not, this happens alot. It is unfortunate that someone lost their life. I am sure that he was loved by many and will be missed. I think the same can be said about the officer if the attacking parties would have killed him. Sad really.

8:22 am Fri, Jan 30^th, 2009

37. cody w. says :

im am a bold person i guess.... i dont know about you but i like my off duty cops drunk and armed..*THUMBS UP* this entire situation should not have happened so lets break it down. the cop went to 4 winerys that day . now i dont know about you but i cant remember the last time i went to a winery and didnt leave nice and buzzed...let alone 4 of them. you dont have to be the head cashier at wal-mart to figure out that the cop was mc-hammered. that being said the investigating officer didnt say anything about his drinking that day. exampl: everytime i get pulled over the first thing a cop says is "have you had anything to drink today." this cop shoots two people IN FRONT OF A BAR and tells the investigating officer that he has BEEN AT WINERYS ALL DAY, and no one thinks to say "have you had anything to drink at all today." if the question was asked then why was it ignored. tricky, tricky huh. that alone suggests wrongful death not justified homicide. lets not forget that once your sworn in as an officer of the law you have to cunduct yourself as suck on and off duty at all times. he should have at least been suspended for conduct un-becoming of an officer. It's Tricky to rock a rhyme to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's Tricky...it's Tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky

10:30 am Sat, Jan 31^st, 2009

38. anonymous says :

oh and bob..........you should also get your facts straight

4:06 am Sun, Feb 1^st, 2009

39. ? says :

Common sense is right! This is a sad event that took place but it Vilan should not have involved himself in a fight. I feel bad for his family but I am sure that they understand that their loved one made one to many mistakes.

4:07 am Sun, Feb 1^st, 2009

40. Friend says :

Dr, thank you for being reasonable. Everyone can have their opinion, but what you said about Shaun not deserving to be dead was well said. How can anyone read a few news articles and determine that Shaun is better off dead--that makes me sick. And, when a shooting such as this involves a drunk officer then the situation is definitely complicated. Dibble is being rehearsed on what and what not to say by Costa Mesa lawyers...the city is insured...Dibbles friends that were present that night haven't even hardly been mentioned...just like there was no mention of his BAC or long day spent (prior to shooting) drinking. Meanwhile Shaun's whole party has been paraded in the media since day one, because they want to get their story out there. They clearly feel they have been wronged for several reasons so people who are too quick to judge are not listening entirely. It is complicated and bottom lines are Shaun did not deserve to die and a drunk officer should have no right to carry around a loaded firearm, we all know that alcohol can impair a decision.

4:08 am Sun, Feb 1^st, 2009

41. Murrieta Mike says :

Yvonne, I respect your passion and your integrity,and I don't mean any disrespect or bring into question your intelligence, But, People use "screen names" or on-line nick names for a reason!!!Please tell me you really didn't use your true identity on an internet discussion forum?? Especially one as heated as this?? Remember, there are a lot of crazy people out there??!!!

5:48 am Wed, Feb 4^th, 2009

42. Robert says :

Yvonne Avis, I served honorably in the United States Navy for 26 years and never once been arrested or convicted of any crime ever...got a speeding ticket once does that count? Too be honest I am proud to protect these freedoms that we have to even discuss this event...sure we don't see eye to eye on whose fault it was however to say I must have been in trouble or made bad choices in my life, well that is true to a certain way, while my daughters grew up I had to be gone allot, I miss birthdays and holidays and I regret that but while you were asleep in your bed safe at night I was out there defending this country and our rights to express our opinions , while you were going to church I was out there standing the watch so you and others like you could freely practice your religion of choice....and that is exactly what I did here used my free speech. What I said is only my ideas of what happened that night. We can't change what happened but for you to actually blame a police officer for this tragic event it in my mind is wrong. This tragic event could have been solved simply by Vilan walking way and not beating this officer with a chair.....to many time in our society we look for others for the reasons for own faults but this time it was Vilan's fault he got shot...plain and simple.

4:56 pm Fri, Apr 10^th, 2009

43. True View says :

I was there! I stood and watched as officer Dibble slapped the butt of Shaun's girlfriend and said "Let's go babe, the table's ready". I heard him as she turned and got angry. I saw the suprise on his face. I heard him say he was sorry. I watched as Shaun and his friends wanted to fight right then and there. I watched the officer quickly go inside to avoid a bad confrontation.

I heard the bouncer at the restaurant tell Shaun 3 times to "LET IT GO, go enjoy yourself in the bar and LET IT GO".

I saw Shaun and Taylor wait in the bar for over an hour.

I saw the officer come out. I saw him see Shaun and his friends still in the bar. I saw him avoid them completely by going accross the street to get some air.

I saw Shaun and his 3 friends hop the small wall of the path leading to the bar...and entering the street. I saw them separate in 2's and converge on Officer Dibble from 2 directions. I did not see the beating because they were obscured by vehicles parked in front of the store across the street from the bar.

I heard Officer Dibble shout that he was a Police officer 2 times. I heard the 5 shots. There was no one on the street. No one was near them. No one else was really in any danger. The bar had about 30 people in it about 60 feet away with 4 trucks blocking the view.

I saw Shaun walk from behind the parked trucks with a gunshot wound in his chest. (I honestly don't know if it was from a frontal shot or a shot that went through him from behind). I saw him walk 25 feet or so and fall to the ground.

I saw the officer walking towards the bar, stopping and falling to his knees in the middle of the street. His gun in one hand and his badge in the other. I saw the blood steaming down his face. He was beaten worse than you could ever imagine. He said he crapped his pants they beat his so badly. He was crying. He said he had no choice. They wouldn't stop kicking and beating him even as he nearly passed out. Even as he told them he was a cop. They just kept kicking and beating him.

He knew exactly what they did to him. They know exactly what they did to him. And I saw and heard most of it. There are 4 people that could have stopped Shaun Vilan from being killed that night. And Officer Dibble wasn't one of them.

I feel badly for Shauns Mom, his son and those close to him. But don't dare fault anyone in this tradgedy other then the 4 individuals that did not want to "LET IT GO".

It's easy to sit back and judge the actions of an individual when you have no idea of the facts. It's easy to sit and think of stories that justify what the officer did or what Shaun and his friends could have done.

The difficult thing is to accept the fact that your friend or loved one did something terribly wrong. Something that cost him his life. You want to blame someone for his death. Someone other than your friend, because you love him and don't want the world to think of him as a thug. You don't want his son to grow up and find out his dad attaked a cop one night and the outcome was the loss of his own life.

It's hard to accept these things. But, shit happens. Sometimes your the one giving it and sometimes your the one taking it. You are the only one that can decide what reaction offers the best outcome.

Peace!

8:26 am Mon, Apr 27^th, 2009

44. The People Rest says :

Thank you True View.......

3:29 pm Fri, May 8^th, 2009

45. Mike says :

Thank you True View. It's good to hear an actual eye witness account, and validate what most common -sense people already knew!