A police officer who shot a member of the tribe was justified in his use of force, Ignacio Police Chief Kirk Phillips said April 26. Authorities launched an internal review of the April 6 shooting of Clayborn Scott, 43. He was shot in the stomach by officer Jake Candelaria, 33, following a traffic stop that escalated into a fight. It was the first time an Ignacio police officer had shot someone since 1984. The internal investigation and a shooting review board both found that “under the circumstances, the use of force applied was appropriate under department policy and state law,” Phillips said. Police reports show that Candelaria attempted to stop Scott for reckless driving, but Scott continued driving to his house outside of the town limits on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Ignacio police officers are justified in following a traffic offender onto the reservation as long as they contact the Southern Ute Police Department, which Candelaria did, Phillips said. Ignacio police say Scott and his wife, Tammy Porambo-Scott, 34, attacked Candelaria after Scott pulled into his driveway. The fight eventually resulted in Candelaria shooting Scott. Scott was released from Mercy Medical Center on April 14 in good condition. He and Porambo-Scott face charges in Southern Ute Tribal Court.
