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November 24, 2009

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No charges in killing of fleeing convict by prison guard

Tuesday, April 21, 1998 | 9:33 a.m.

The April 2 shooting of inmate Steven Schaaf "was legally justified under all the circumstances existing at the time and a (coroner's) inquest is clearly unnecessary," District Attorney Noel Waters said Monday.

"This was not a guy you would want to have in the midst of a bunch of innocent citizens," Waters added. "He was a bad guy."

Schaaf, 40, apparently used a homemade key to pick the locks on his shackles while being taken from prison to see a plastic surgeon about an injury to his hand.

When guards opened the door of a prison van, he ran in the direction of a woman and herr child standing beside their car.

Senior Correctional Officer Charles Looman fired one round from his 9mm pistol, hitting Schaaf in the back. He died at the scene.

Waters said Schaaf had a violent criminal history that spanned more than 20 years. In Nevada, he had served 10 years of a 40-plus-40-year term for attempted murder, and also faced a life sentence for murder and rape in Arizona.

Schaaf had been sentenced to death in Arizona for the murder, but the death sentence had been overturned on appeal.

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