Pubdate: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 Source: Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) Copyright: 2008 The Virginian-Pilot Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/28BOIHpy Website: http://www.pilotonline.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/483 Author: Kristin Davis SMALL GROUP RALLIES IN SUPPORT OF MAN ACCUSED IN CHESAPEAKE OFFICER'S DEATH For hours Saturday, supporters of the man charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 17 shooting death of a Chesapeake police officer stood quietly outside the city jail, some carrying homemade signs or wearing painted T-shirts. "Free Ryan," many of them read. There were no more than two dozen people gathered at a time throughout the cold, rainy morning and cloudy afternoon. At times the crowd dwindled to 10 or so, and as one group left, others showed up. Many said they never had met 28-year-old Ryan Frederick, who also is charged with use of a gun in the commission of a felony and first-offense possession of marijuana. But they said they have followed the story and believe Frederick didn't intend to shoot Detective Jarrod Shivers. The 34-year-old married father of three was killed while serving a drug search warrant at a home in the 900 block of Redstart Ave. in Chesapeake. Frederick has said he believed he was firing at an intruder who was breaking down his front door. But Special Prosecutor Paul Ebert has said narcotics officers announced their presence several times before trying to enter that night. Police also have said Shivers was shot while standing in the yard. Ted and Jackie Boltze of Norfolk said they don't know Frederick. They have three children who are in their 30s and 40s and said they feel like something similar could have happened to any one of them. "I've never been to a protest before. I've never been involved with nothing," Ted Boltze said. Susan Milne, who said she worked with Frederick at a hotel for about a year, called it "an accident, a mistake. That's just not who he is," she said. Melissa Peters, who went to school with Frederick, described him as a quiet guy who stayed out of a trouble. "He's not the kind of person who would do something like this intentionally," she said. Many gathered also expressed sympathy for Shivers and his family. "All of us feel horrible about a police officer losing his life," Peters said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek