Police Impunity in Tulare County

Police Impunity in Tulare County
By Mike Rhodes

David Fettig was shot by a Woodlake Police Department officer on January 8, 2004. Fettig was at his girlfriends house at the time of the shooting. At about 6 AM he heard what he thought was a burglar and went outside to investigate. That is when he ran into officer Robert Gilson. Gilson did not identify himself and shined his flashlight in Fettig’s eyes. As Fettig held his hand up to shield his eyes he was shot twice. Fettig lay on the ground for 40 minutes before being allowed to talk with anyone.

Fettig’s girlfriend’s mother said that they were expecting officer Gilson the next day to identify property stolen during a break in. They wonder what officer Gilson was doing at their home at 6 AM in the morning.

Last week the Tulare County DA declared that Gilson did nothing wrong when he shot Fettig. Fettig was unarmed at the time of the shooting and is now considering filing a civil lawsuit against the County.