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WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- No charges will be filed against John Saul for the shooting death of Cesar Chavira back in May. A coroner's inquest recommended no charges be filed and the prosecutor's office followed that recommendation. The paperwork with the prosecutor's decision can be found here. Chavira was shot multiple times in the back from a far distance as he left the New York Store on Isaacs in Walla Walla. The inquest was held to involve a jury of Saul's peers to determine if criminal charges were warranted. Saul had been asleep at the time Chavira had broken in....

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- A jury found John Saul justified in shooting Cesar Chavira to death back in May in Walla Walla's New York Store. An attorney for Chavira's family stated a wrongful death civil suit will be filed against Saul. Walla Walla's prosecuting attorney will be reviewing case and decide what the next step is. Owner John Saul said he caught Cesar Chavez stealing belts and buckles red-handed before unloading as many as five shotgun rounds into the 22-year-old. The issue went to a panel of jurors when investigators couldn't determine if John Saul acted properly by shooting...

Walla Walla — After an hour of deliberation, the jury for the Coroner’s Inquest into the shooting death of Cesar Chavira by John Saul appeared to have reached a verdict late Thursday afternoon. Instead the jury foreman announced a 3-3 split. The jury had been tasked with determining if John Saul had committed a justifiable or unjustifiable homicide May 4 when he fired five rounds from a 12 gauge shotgun, killing Chavira outside his business, the New York Store on Isaacs Avenue. Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Gary Bolster, the lead investigator in the case, gave expert testimony on...

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - "Was this necessary? Was his death necessary for breaking in," asked Cesar Chavira's uncle, Arturo Alejandre. Those questions will be for a jury to decide. The coroner ordered a closer look into the May 4th shooting at the New York Store in Walla Walla. At issue? Was store owner John Saul justified in shooting Cesar Chavira five times as he burglarized Saul's store. Chavira's family has awaited this inquest for months. This issue that has divided the town. Chavira's mother, Camerna Alejandre said, "We expected something to happen in the beginning you know, we didn't get...

WALLA WALLA - The Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office hopes to forward the investigation of the shooting death of Cesar Chavira, 22, to the Prosecuting Attorney's office soon, Sheriff John Turner said this morning. New York Store owner John Saul shot Chavira early in the morning May 4 after Chavira apparently broke into the store. Family members and friends of Chavira have called the shooting an excessive use of force, and have held several protest marches. "We still do have things at the state crime lab," Turner said. "There is no hold-up. It's just an ongoing criminal investigation." Turner said...

WALLA WALLA — Family and friends of the late Ceasar Chavira, who was killed during a burglary at the New York Store May 4, gathered for a second protest march against the actions of store owner John Saul, who shot Chavira. Signs ranged from calls for justice to more pointed accusations of murder. Several protestors held signs that read, “It’s Not About Gangs — It’s About Excessive Force.” “It wasn’t really a gang activity that was going on,” said Chavira’s cousin, Eder Alejandre. Ramon Gomez, a self-described “friend of the community” added that Chavira was wrong to break into the...

Another large group of people marched down Walla Walla East Isaac’s Avenue last night demanding justice for Cesar Chavira. The 22-year-old was shot by New York Store owner John Saul May 4 during a foiled burglary attempt. “All this right here it’s just family, friends, the people who loved him, and the people who knew him,” Chavira’s friend Jessie said. Jessie said he understands Cesar made a bad choice to break into the store, but he didn’t deserve to die for the mistake. He said he won’t rest until justice is served. “We’ll take it civil, but either way he’s...