Family of man shot in US see his killer face sex charges
THE family of an Irishman, shot dead by a US police officer, were in court yesterday to witness his killer face sex abuse charges.
Tony Gonzalez, from Silverton, Oregon, is facing multiple counts of sexually abusing an underage girl.
Meanwhile, the body of the 20-year-old he shot -- Andrew Hanlon, from Dundrum, Dublin -- is expected to arrive in Ireland today.
His mother, Dorothea, attended a memorial service for her son whilst in the US and she has since flown home.
Mr Hanlon's sister Melanie Heise confirmed she was in court yesterday for the arraignment of Gonzalez, but said she had not tried to speak to him.
Gonzalez was ordered to be held without bail at the Polk County Jail by Marion County Circuit Judge Joseph Ochoa. Shackled and visible to the court room through a glass wall, he spoke only to answer the judge's questions with a simple "yes" or "no".
He faces two counts of sex abuse in the first degree and three counts of sex abuse in the third degree. The two first-degree charges are Measure 11 offences that carry a minimum prison sentence of 75 months.
Abuse
A preliminary hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 24.
Gonzalez was arrested on Sunday after a mother and her daughter walked into a police station on Saturday afternoon and reported the abuse.
US media reports claimed that the abuse took place on at least 60 occasions and that the girl was known to Gonzalez. The abuse allegedly started four or five years ago and resumed a week before Gonzalez' arrest.
Gonzalez, who has only been a fully-certified police officer for a year, spent years trying to get into the force.
Andrew was shot at least seven times by Gonzalez after the police officer responded to reports of a burglary in Silverton on June 30.
His family insists the young man was disorientated and thought he was knocking on his sister's door when somebody reported an attempted break-in to the police.
Meanwhile, Ms Heise said yesterday that her mother and other family members were hoping to hold a service for Andrew this Monday.
- Grainne Cunningham
