Fired corrections officer acquitted in shooting

A former corrections officer on trial in the shooting of an inmate at High Desert State Prison was acquitted of battery Thursday.

The jury found Paul Chaffee, 33, not guilty of battery with a deadly weapon with substantial bodily harm in the December 2006 shooting of inmate Donald Hixon.

"Not only is it a victory for me, it's a victory for all correctional officers of the state of Nevada," Chaffee said after the verdict was delivered.

The Nevada Department of Corrections fired Chaffee after he was indicted by a Clark County grand jury. Chaffee said he wants to fight to get his job back.

His attorney, Tom Pitaro, said Chaffee has had difficulty getting employment with the charge hanging over his head. Chaffee recently worked selling greeting cards, Pitaro said. "He's grateful to the jury for finding him innocent in this case. After two years, he can get back on with his life."

Chaffee worked as a corrections officer for 61/2 years.

Hixon filed a civil lawsuit against Chaffee and the state prison system alleging the Department of Corrections didn't properly train or supervise Chaffee and that Chaffee shot him maliciously. That case is pending in federal court.

Authorities said the incident occurred after Hixon got into a fight with his cellmate. Hixon told the jury he was outside his cell and was facing a wall when Chaffee shot him.

Hixon also said he had his hands on his head with his fingers interlaced at the time.

At the time, Hixon was serving a 12- to 48-month sentence for possessing a stolen vehicle.

Kevin Ranft, a correctional officer at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center and regional vice president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041, said officers and others are put in danger when they are accused of criminal wrongdoing while doing their job because they second guess their decisions.

Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada and a longtime critic of Nevada's prison system, said guards aren't above the law.

"We assume that they (the union) agree that guards should be held to at least the same standards as ordinary people within our criminal justice system," Peck said.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.