OPINION: Let the grieving family mourn, support both families in Olivia police shooting

West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·3 min read

Jul. 10—In the early morning hours Sunday, the July 4th holiday, Ricardo Torres Jr. lost his life in a reported confrontation with Olivia Police Department Officer Aaron Clouse in the Renville County town.

There is little information released yet about what exactly happened at 2:20 a.m. in that Olivia alleyway located on the 800 block of East Lincoln Avenue.

A July 4 news release from the city of Olivia stated that Torres was armed and confronted Officer Clouse in that Olivia alleyway. The officer discharged his weapon and Torres was shot. Torres was then transported by ambulance to Olivia Hospital and Clinic, where he was pronounced dead.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension wrote in a news release this week that a shotgun was found near where Torres was shot. The BCA reported that there was no dash camera or other known video of the shooting. Olivia police officers do not wear body cameras, according to city officials.

The shooting remains under investigation by the state BCA.

Both families of the individuals involved and the residents of Olivia are awaiting the BCA investigation report. There is anger and frustration for many.

The Torres family and friends are hurting due to the loss of their son, sibling, father, boyfriend and friend. He remains now only in their memories. They are questioning why this happened to their loved one. That is understandable.

The Clouse family is hurting from the involvement of their loved one in a police shooting. They face the actual realization and fear of the dangers that law enforcement officers face each day as they seek to protect and serve their community. That is understandable.

The Olivia community is hurting as such an event is not expected to happen in small-town west central Minnesota.

But it did. Now these families and the community are changed forever.

In the meantime, some unfortunate behavior has become apparent in several ways.

As Torres' family and friends planned a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening near a makeshift memorial near the Olivia alleyway where Torres lost his life, the rumors began swirling.

One false rumor was that people were rioting on Olivia's streets and law enforcement were standing on rooftops to protect businesses. This was false. There were other rumors as well. Again, false.

Then during the Wednesday memorial vigil, a group of individuals driving pickups and flying American, Trump and blue line support flags circled the block, revving their engines loudly, profane shouting at the vigil attendees and shutting down the street for a period of time. Eventually, law enforcement asked them to move on.

Granted that both those mourners attending the memorial vigil and the pickup drivers and riders have the right to free speech under the First Amendment.

Certainly, the memorial vigil attendees were peaceable and were remembering their loved one. Though some were profane in confronting the vigil protestors also.

However, the pickup protesters' conduct was distasteful, inappropriate and could possibly even be considered illegal. There actually is a Minnesota Statute 609.501 making it a crime to disrupt a funeral or memorial service or target the home or domicile of a member of the deceased person's family or household on the date of the funeral ceremony, graveside service or memorial service.

Certainly, one can question whether these pickup drivers would have protested this memorial vigil if the shooting victim was white; instead of Latino. It is food for thought.

Tensions in Minnesota have increased in recent years due to the deaths of individuals in police custody, police chases or police shooting incidents. It is time for all of us to take a deep breath.

Let the families of the deceased mourn in peace. They are hurting. They are part of our communities.

Remember to support our law enforcement members and their families. They too are part of our communities.

This Tribune Opinion editorial is the opinion of the West Central Tribune Editorial Board, consisting of publisher Steve Ammermann and editor Kelly Boldan.

Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting

Recommended Stories

  • Letters to the Editor: A story on psychics during the pandemic — really, L.A. Times?

    Uncritically reporting on the brisk online business done by seers and tarot card readers during the pandemic is a poor use of print space, say readers.

  • Striking Volvo workers nix tentative deal at truck plant

    A tentative agreement between Volvo Trucks North America and a union representing nearly 3,000 workers who have gone on strike twice this year at a southwest Virginia truck plant has been rejected by the striking workers, United Auto Workers officials announced Friday. It was the third tentative labor accord rejected by union workers this year. A UAW statement said workers at the company's tractor-trailer assembly plant in Dublin would continue their current walkout after rejecting the July 1 tentative pact.

  • Allyson Felix and Athleta team up to cover childcare costs for athlete moms

    Allyson Felix is the most decorated athlete in the world and she's on the brink of striking more gold at this year's Olympics. In addition to being the all-star athlete that she is, she's also a devoted mom who's passionate about empowering other fellow women athletes. Aligning with that passion, Felix has teamed up with apparel company Athleta and the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) to launch The Power of She Fund: Child Care Grants.

  • U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Andrew won't get vaccinated

    Just a few weeks out from the Tokyo Olympics, former 100-meter individual medley world champion Michael Andrew said he will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Andrew, 22, is heading to his first Olympic Games with Team USA, where he'll compete in the 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter individual medley and 50-meter freestyle. "My reason behind it is -- for one, it was in the last moment I didn't want to put anything in my body that I didn't know how I would potentially react to," Andrew told reporters on a conference call.

  • New York's Mayoral Race Shows that Ranked Choice Voting Works—Even With Snafus

    After an embarrassing administrative gaff, a few zany candidates, and nationwide anticipation, New York City’s final vote tally for the mayoral primaries is in. Eric Adams won the Democratic contest and will face off with long-shot Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa for Gracie Mansion. Both candidates were selected by ranked choice voting—the city’s first mayoral election that used this unconventional but promising voting system.

  • This $10 Tool on Amazon Magically Removes Bug Bite Venom

    One of our favorite things to do as a family on the cooler summer nights is to have gatherings around the fire pit. There is one part about eating meals outside during the warmer months that always gets old. The mosquitos. No matter if you get your yard sprayed, you buy endless amounts of citronella […]

  • Biden Report Card: Afghanistan withdrawal praised, but terrorism isn’t over

    This week’s White House Report Card finds President Joe Biden calling an end to the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan effective at the end of August. A hair behind his deadline, 70% of the country finally became vaccinated against the coronavirus. And in barring the deportation of pregnant illegal immigrants, he guaranteed a whole new generation of immigrant children born into the United States, and winning birthright citizenship, thus making it virtually impossible to deport their illegal parents

  • Nicki Minaj Links Up With Bia for ‘Whole Lotta Money’ Remix

    The duo announced their collaboration on Instagram Live

  • Gordon Ramsay Is Giving A Couple A Free Meal After They Said He Ruined Their Wedding

    Studio Ramsay has also paid for the wedding in full.

  • Biden signs executive order, speaks with Putin on the phone

    The White House says President Joe Biden made it clear to Putin that the U.S. expects him to act on cyberattacks.

  • Haitian Officials Request U.S. Troops to Protect Infrastructure amid Political Turmoil

    The Haitian government has requested U.S. forces to help protect Haiti’s port, airport, gasoline reserves, and other facilities.

  • Tokyo Olympics: Spectators also barred from outlying venues

    Two more prefectures outside the immediate Tokyo area have decided to bar fans from attending Olympic events because of rising coronavirus infections, Tokyo Olympic organizers confirmed on Saturday with the pandemic-delayed games opening in just under two weeks. Tokyo organizers and the IOC earlier in the week barred all fans from venues in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.

  • Scott Disick Steals Maluma’s Lady in New ‘Sobrio’ Music Video

    Maluma dropped a new song titled ‘Sobrio’ and its accompanying music video featuring Scott Disick on Thursday.

  • Hannah Berner on If She'd Return to Summer House : Not 'Worth Putting My Relationship on the Line'

    The reality star got engaged to Irish comedian Des Bishop on Valentine's Day

  • Trump’s Tech Lawsuit Already Turning Into Fundraising Scheme

    Michael M. Santiago/GettyWhen ex-president Donald Trump held a press conference this week to announce his class-action lawsuit against social media companies, most people shrugged. One group, however, saw it as an opportunity.Officials with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a so-called “dark money” nonprofit backing the lawsuit, joined the former president at the lectern, where they directed supporters to a website to sign on as co-plaintiffs.That site won’t actually sign anyone on to t

  • Group seeks investigation of Kansas City, Kansas police. Here are the top allegations

    A former detective has been accused of raping women and coercing them into giving false testimony.

  • S.Korea reports third consecutive record high new COVID-19 cases -KDCA

    SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea posted its highest-ever number of new daily COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Saturday, the third consecutive day of record highs in new infection cases. Starting on Monday, coronavirus curbs will be tightened to the strictest level possible in Seoul and neighbouring regions for the first time, South Korea said on Friday, as the streak of record new cases fanned concern. South Korea has so far fared better than many industralised nations in infections and deaths, with a mortality rate of 1.22% and the number of severe cases at 148 as of Friday, which is much lower than the previous peak in late December.

  • Madonna Compares Britney Spears’ Conservatorship To ‘Slavery’ In Impassioned Post

    The pop star spoke out on Instagram to demand that Spears’ father’s influence on her life and career be removed In the days following Britney Spears’ bombshell, emotional conservatorship hearing, many celebrities have come out in support of the singer. The “Stronger” singer says her father, Jamie Spears, holds an undue amount of power over []

  • Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning will stream on Netflix from 30 July

    Netflix Asia has dropped an official trailer for The Beginning on their YouTube channel.

  • Smoke, extreme heat pose harsh test for West Coast vineyards

    The heat wave that recently hit the Pacific Northwest subjected the region’s vineyards to record-breaking temperatures nine months after the fields that produce world-class wine were blanketed by wildfire smoke. The good news for grape growers, wineries and wine lovers is the historic heat wave came during a narrow window when the fruit suffered little, if any, damage. The bad news is that extreme weather events and wildfires are apt to become more frequent because of climate change.