Posted on 02/19/2012 10:16:11 AM PST by Altariel
By AUDREY BARNES/myfoxdc
CULPEPER, Va. - Investigators are trying to figure out what led to a police shooting that killed a 54-year-old woman in Culpeper.
A telephone pole on North East Street is where police say the confrontation between Patricia Cook and a five-year veteran of the Town of Culpeper Police Department ended.
Ironically, it began about 75 yards up the street outside of the church Cook attended. And if you had to pick a person least likely to be shot and killed by police, the victim's next door neighbor said it would be Patricia Cook.
“She’s always talked really nice, and always smiling and laughing with you,” said Robin Herndon, a neighbor of Cook’s. “It’s just a shock.”
Investigators say she was shot and killed by a Culpeper Police officer responding to a call about a suspicious person at around 10 a.m. Thursday.
“Some sort of altercation took place and some shots were fired. The vehicle ended up traveling south on North East Street about 75 yards and ended up striking a telephone pole,” said Town of Culpeper spokesman Wally Bunker.
After the initial shots, witnesses said Cook drove her Jeep up North East Street, taking out a street sign before hitting the light pole. There are unconfirmed reports from witnesses that the officer fired more shots as Cook tried to drive away.
Instead, Herndon says Cook, a petite woman with blond hair always in a neat bun, didn't have children of her own, so she would make gifts for her neighbor's children, and always took the time to say hello.
Virginia State Police are in charge of the investigation now. The officer is on paid administrative leave.
Police have not said how many times Cook was shot or what might have prompted the officer fire his weapon.
The Virginia State Police has said it would be weeks before the investigation is completed. The results of the investigation will then be turned over to special prosecutor, Jim Fisher, Fauquier County Commonwealth’s Attorney. He told the Star-Exponent last week, “We are far from the point where decisions will be made.”
Per the town’s organizational structure, the police chief answers to the town manager thus the statement from Alexander Tuesday. But the town manager answers to town council whose members have said they have no idea who the officer is.
Protecting the identity of police officers who employ deadly force is the town of Culpeper’s policy. It is also the town’s policy to relieve the officer from duty or assign them duties that would not place them in direct contact with the public.
According to the written policy, “The purpose of this is two-fold: 1) to protect the community’s interest when officers may have exceeded the scope of their authority in their actions or in their use of force, and, 2) to shield officers who have not exceeded the scope of their authority from possible confrontations with the community.”
. . .
http://www2.starexponent.com/news/2012/feb/29/officers-name-not-released-ar-1728450/
Probably couldn't be sure who he really was
Culpeper officer indicted for murder in woman’s shooting
Thirty-two-year-old Daniel Harmon–Wright, aka Daniel Wayne Sullivan, aka Dan Wayne... has been charged with one count of murder, malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle, malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle resulting in a death and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
His mumsie, Bethany P. Sullivan, who worked as an administative secretary for the chief of police at the time of his hiring, has been charged with sanitising his personel record file.
But other witnesses will and have.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.