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FAMILY WAITING FOR MCSO REPORT

A West Alexandria-area family is making an attempt at getting over their son's death this week, while officials await results of an investigation being conducted by Montgomery County Sheriff's investigators.

Twenty-three-year-old Clayton Helriggle was shot and killed during a narcotics search near West Alexandria on Friday, Sept.  27.  Since his death, controversy surrounding the incident has continued, highlighted by protests by Helriggle's family and friends in front of the Preble County Courthouse last week.

While friends of Helriggle claim the young man descended the stairs of his home with a blue plastic cup, sheriff's officials reported he approached with a handgun before being shot by a deputy.

An incident report issued last week can be read differently depending on the reader, according to Michael Helriggle, Clayton's father.

"It all depends on whose side you're on," Michael Helriggle said on Monday, Oct.  7.  "It wasn't anything I didn't expect."

"Everybody can see the timeline," Michael said.  "It's an awful short period of time in which things first happened - and then there's the amount of time it took for Montgomery County to be notified.

"I'm sure Montgomery County will come out and tell us what happened," Michael added.  "For now, we're just trying to get over this; I'm trying to get my family back together, a little.

"I'm just going to let the police handle it from here.  There's nothing else I can do."

A special memorial event for Clayton Helriggle is scheduled for Thursday, Oct.  10, 8-10:30 p.m., at Taffy's Main Street Coffee in Eaton.  The public is invited to attend.