Pubdate: Wed,  9 Oct 2002
Source: Register-Herald, The (OH)
Copyright: 2002 The Register-Herald
Contact:  http://www.registerherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2594
Author: Leslie Collins

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.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart