POLICE SHOOTING Preliminary reports say 2 officers obeyed law

There is no specific return date yet for the officers.
By NICOLE HUGHES
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Two city officers involved in a deadly shooting last month have been cleared to return to work, but an investigation into their actions continues.
Mayor Ralph A. Infante sent letters Monday to Police Chief Bruce Simeone and officer Chris Mannella authorizing them to return to work as of Monday.
Capt. Charles Wilson, who is acting as chief in Simeone's absence, said no specific return date is set for the men, who will be on vacation "for a couple of weeks."
Simeone and Mannella have been on paid administrative leave since July 21, pending an investigation into their actions in a double shooting that day. The two were the officers who fired their service weapons at James Fambro-Wade, 43, of Warren, in front of a Wood Street home.
Police allege Fambro-Wade is the man who shot and killed his former girlfriend, 21-year-old Erica Mechling, just minutes before police arrived.
"The preliminary reports from the internal investigation are complete," Wilson said. "They found there was no violation of federal, state or city law or in policy or procedures."
Investigators
The internal investigation was conducted in conjunction with an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and the Trumbull County prosecutor's office. Wilson said the outside investigation is still open.
Officials with Ohio BCII said their part of the investigation is complete and has been handed over to the prosecutor's office.
Dave Toepfer, an assistant county prosecutor, said one of the things his office is waiting on is the autopsy report for Fambro-Wade. Officials with the Mahoning County coroner's office said Tuesday the case is still open, and no preliminary ruling on Fambro-Wade's death has been issued.
XCONTRIBUTOR: Trumbull staff writer Sherri L. Shaulis.