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Damning transcript entered into record for Olavarria shooting

nbc12.com is reporting that damning evidence was entered into the court record concerning the shooting of Santanna Olavarria by Richmond Police Officer Michael Couture during a May 29, 2004, car stop at Mechanicsville Turnpike and Fairfield Way.

A transcript of Officer Couture’s conversation with State Police investigators was entered into court records Monday. The conversation describes the events of the evening that Santana Olavarria was fatally shot.

From the article:

Couture says his partner, Officer Ed Aeschlimann, told him to get Olavarria out of the car. When Couture tried to undo his seat belt, he says Olavarria drove away, dragging him down the street half in and half out of the car.

That’s when Couture says he felt his life was in danger and pulled out his gun.

But, Couture told State Police, “When the driver saw his gun, the driver raised both hands and said, ‘Don’t.’ Couture fired one round at the driver at the same time that the driver said, ‘Don’t.'”

He also told State Police that he didn’t warn Olavarria that he was about to shoot, never told him that he was under arrest and never saw any other weapons in the car.

The documents also show Couture also shot at a suspect in a drive by shooting back in 1998 while he was with the Washington, DC Police Department.