Posted on 05/31/2012 2:45:39 PM PDT by Altariel
A special investigative grand jury Tuesday handed down a murder indictment against the Culpeper town policeman who shot and killed a 54-year-old unarmed woman on Feb. 9. Thirty-two-year-old Daniel Harmon–Wright, aka Daniel Wayne Sullivan, aka Dan Wayne, turned himself in to Prince William County authorities Tuesday night near his home in Gainesville, sources said.
According to the Virginia State Police, Harmon–Wright 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.
The charges stem from an incident shortly before 10 a.m. in a parking lot in front of Epiphany Catholic preschool on East Street in which Patricia A. Cook was shot and killed.
The officer had responded to a “suspicious person” call from the preschool staff, and a confrontation with Cook reportedly took place.
The state police, who initially investigated the incident, issued a statement the day after the shooting saying that Cook had rolled up her car window, which caught the officer’s arm and caused him to be dragged. Cook’s husband said later that the Jeep had no power windows.
Other aspects of that initial state police statement also quickly came into dispute.
A witness in a nearby house said he saw Harmon–Wright with his service pistol in one hand and his other hand on the Jeep Wrangler’s door handle.
The witness also stated that he heard Harmon–Wright yell, “Stop or I’ll shoot!” twice and then saw him fire point blank through Cook’s driver’s side window as she drove away.
Sources have said that Cook was struck in the head. The witness said Harmon–Wright, an Iraq War veteran, continued to fire his weapon as Cook’s vehicle rolled slowly south on East Street before finally coming to a stop against a utility pole.
Cook was struck several times, according to sources, and pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly after the incident, Fauquier County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Fisher was appointed as a special prosecutor, and in early April, he requested a special investigative grand jury to handle the matter.
That grand jury met at least three times before Tuesday, including last Thursday.
“Without commenting on the particulars of the investigation, over the course of the month of May, this special investigative grand jury heard from more than 45 witnesses, received more than 100 separate exhibits and were presented with reams of documentary evidence,” Fisher said in a statement Tuesday night.
In addition, the special investigative grand jury also handed down three counts of uttering and three counts of forgery of public documents against Harmon-Wright’s mother, Bethany P. Sullivan, 55, of Orange.
Through the course of the special grand jury’s investigation, a Virginia State police press release noted, evidence came to light concerning Sullivan’s role in forging public records in an attempt to purge Harmon-Wright’s personnel file of negative information.
Sullivan was employed as an administrative secretary to the chief of police at the time of Harmon-Wright’s hiring as a police officer. Sullivan left the police department in 2010.
Sullivan was taken into custody without incident late Tuesday night. Sullivan was released on an unsecured bond of $5,000 on each count.
Although the shooting incident took place in Culpeper, Harmon–Wright is being held in the Fauquier Adult Detention Center.
Harmon–Wright is being held without bond. A bond hearing will be held June 8.
On May 11, Cook’s husband, Gary Cook, filed a $5.35 million civil wrongful death suit against Harmon–Wright.
Cook’s attorneys have also informed town officials that they should also expect future civil legal action. Harmon–Wright had been on paid administrative leave since the shooting.
But Mayor Chip Coleman said in a statement Tuesday night that the officer has now been suspended without pay.
Why would someone with so many aliases, be hired as a police officer? OK I can understand the "Wayen-Sullivan vs. just Wayne. But Harmon-Wright? How many "Daddies" did the guy have?
Harmon–Wright, an Iraq War veteran
Maybe as fake as his name(s)? Mommie dearest could have put good stuff in to his record, as well as removing bad stuff.
There are four things about this story (I’ve followed it).
First, no one can explain why the lady pulled up and stopped there, or was sitting for a fair amount of time. It would appear, that she was waiting on someone, but no one has hinted on this side of the story.
Second, this cop pulls up....goes into ‘launch mode’ (this is Culpeper, which isn’t like DC or Norfolk or Baltimore). How he got around to this area of town, or got to a suspicious state over her sitting there...is unknown. Again, it’s just odd how he pulls up....gets suddenly interested....and goes into the questions situation.
Third, there’s a witness or two, that totally destroys the cop’s story. According to the witness, who was in a line-of-sight situation....the cop’s arm was never caught in the glass as she rolled it up....and was leaving.
Fourth, and final....the cop’s mom....who worked for the police force for several years....went way out on the limb....cleansing his records as an applicant for a job on the police department. Three documents are involved, although no one is talking about what kind of background or arrests that the cop was involved in (likely in his youth). Mom could actually get a bit of jail-time....but it makes the chief of the police look bad because he hired someone who should never have been a cop on the force.
Based on Virginia law....I’d say that the cop will likely be convicted. I’m suspecting that there is still some piece of this story left unknown....as to why the lady stopped and just paused so long, and why the cop went into his act so quickly. It’s almost like a scripted event....if you ask me.
I think it is going to come down to the thing that some people want to be a cop to be a big shot in authority and able to do as they please without much question.
The facts of multiple aliases, doctored record and witnesses, is pretty damning. Hope they smoke this pig (yep some LEO are pigs!!).
“...Cook had rolled up her car window, which caught the officer’s arm and caused him to be dragged. Cook’s husband said later that the Jeep had no power windows.”
Huh???
IIRC, Jeep Wranglers do not have power windows.
He’ll get off.
Could you please check the link in #6... Not working.
Here ya go => http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2848653/posts
The officer lied about getting his arm caught in her window.
It’s a tragedy.
The good peace officers have either retired or died, and are being increasingly replaced by Public Servants of Peace.
Ping
Thanks for the ping. (prolly would have missed it otherwise)
We’ll see E. The suit says that Cook was within her right to drive away under the circumstances. “When defendant Harmon–Wright attempted to bully and coerce Mrs. Cook into complying with his commands by raising his voice and threatening to shoot her, she was lawfully entitled to refuse to comply [and] to depart unharmed and unhindered under the circumstances then and there existing.” It adds that, “In Virginia, a police officer has no right to inflict serious bodily harm on a person who is simply fleeing arrest for a misdemeanor, much less a person who has committed no crime and who is simply exercising her right to decline to speak with a police officer.”
I seem to remember something about her possibly applying for a job at the Epiphany Catholic preschool. God forbid she might have been praying in the Church’s parking lot. I blame the staff of the preschool for not going outside to inquire, if they could be of assistance. Not call the police cause you think she is a “suspicious person” and they send an Irak PTSD nutjob with a badge. Mrs. Cook’s blood is on their hands!
Thanks for the ping. I remember this and how it stunk up the place.
What ever happened to Magical?
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