Deputy shooting will be presented to grand jury

The shooting death of John “Butch” Stewart Jr., who was killed by a Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputy, will be presented to the Monongalia County grand jury.
“And that’s a good thing, they should present them all,” Sheriff Perry Palmer said last week.
Stewart was shot and killed on April 17. According to 911 logs, Deputy Jacob Coe responded to a call by Stewart’s sister, Jessica. About 15 minutes later, Coe reported shots were fired and called for an ambulance. Palmer has not confirmed Coe was the deputy who shot Stewart.
John Stewart Sr. said his son’s death certificate states he was shot twice — in the heart and lungs.
Following his response to the Pentress call that night, Coe did not appear on the department’s daily call logs again until May 15, at which time The Dominion Post was told the internal policy and procedure review was complete and the deputy involved in the shooting was back to work.
Stewart Sr. said he didn’t think it was right the deputy was working again until the entire investigation was over.
Stewart Jr. had a knife when he was killed, according to a press release from the sheriff following the shooting. The department has rejected multiple Freedom of Information Act requests from the newspaper for Coe’s bodycam footage during the timeframe of that call to Pentress, citing the ongoing investigation.
Stewart Sr. said his attorney has not been able to view the footage either.
“It hasn’t gone to the grand jury yet … nothing’s released. It’s an active, ongoing criminal thing until it goes to the grand jury,” Palmer said. “And the prosecutor has it.”
Palmer said he did not know when Monongalia County Prosecutor Perri DeChristopher planned to present the case to the grand jury, but his department is ready when she is.
DeChristoper confirmed the sheriff’s department provided files on the case for review, but declined to say if she planned to present the case at the next grand jury in September. It’s also not clear what charge will be presented.
Grand jury proceedings are closed to the public and Stewart Sr. said he’s worried no one will be looking out for his son when the case is presented behind closed doors. It’s the prosecutor’s job to present the case for indictment.
“I think about him all the time,” Stewart Sr. said. “To watch your son get killed is hell.”
Stewart Sr. was outside the trailer and heard “bang bang” when his son was shot on its porch.
Typically this time of year, Stewart Jr. would help the family rake hay, but now there’s no one to help with it, his dad said. Since the shooting, Jessica has also moved away, Stewart Sr. said.
He still can’t believe his son was killed and said he no longer trust the police — especially the younger officers, who he said are too quick to kill.
“They just come out and you know, they’ll shoot you,” Stewart Sr. said.