VA - Update on the Patricia Cook killing.

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Aug 31, 2007
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A little news from last week on this front.




Citizen Wants 'Open Investigation' Into Officer-Involved Shooting Of Patricia Cook

http://wusa9.com/news/article/20409...to-Officer-Involved-Shooting-Of-Patricia-Cook

CULPEPER, Va. (WUSA) -- It's been almost three months since a Culpeper Police Officer shot and killed a retired Sunday school teacher in a church school parking lot, yet there are still more questions than answers about what happened the day Patricia Cook was killed.

The investigation is now in the hands of Virginia State Police, a special prosecutor in Fauquier County, and a special investigative grand jury. But many people in Culpeper say the investigation is taking too long.

"I think it's a coverup," said Patricia Wise, a Culpeper resident as she walked past the site of the shooting Tuesday morning.

State Police say the officer, who's name has not been released, was responding to a report of a suspicious person sitting in a car in the Epiphany Catholic School parking lot. When the officer asked 54-year-old Patricia Cook for identification, she rolled up her window catching the officers arm inside, then drove off. Police say she was dragging him down the street when he opened fire.

But at least one eye witness says that account is incorrect:

"The window was halfway up. He said stop or I will shoot. I didn't think he was going to do it. But she got the window all the way up and that's when he shot her," said Kris Buchele.

So far, no charges have been filed against the officer. He is still on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The only thing the town spokesman will say is that: ""The investigation is in the hands of a special prosecutor and the state police. Like everyone, we await the results of that investigation."

That response doesn't sit will with James Jennings, a Culpeper resident and retired elementary school teacher.

"Something just doesn't add up. How could this woman, who is a retired homemakers and who was unarmed, how could she be shot to death in a church school parking lot?" asked Jennings.

Last week, Jennings started a "Justice for Patricia Cook" Facebook page. He's also started an online petition requesting that criminal charges be filed against the officer. So far, he's received almost 350 signatures.

"Our primary focus is to ensure that all the details, evidence, and eyewitness accounts are brought out into the open," said Jennings. "This should not be closed-door investigation."

But other people in town, like Wayne Rinker, say Jenning's is causing more harm than good.

"I think people should just be patient and let the judicial system run it's course," said Rinker.

Virginia State Police haven't given any timeframe as to when their investigation will be complete. The special prosecutor in Fauqier County says it will be the end of June at the earliest before the grand jury has reached a decision.
 
When government fails good men stand. I'll take James Jennings over 1k 'toe the blue line' L.E. any day. Seems the only way things are gonna get done. Soap box is past. Ignored. Ballot box is passing. Alternatives are getting slim.
 
No video didn't happen. I'll be very surprised if this cop is held accountable.
 
Well, you would think that if there was any 'dirt' on Cook, it would have leaked out by now...
 
Well, you would think that if there was any 'dirt' on Cook, it would have leaked out by now...

Don't need dirt on Cook. The officer "was in fear for his life, doing his dangerous & heroic job". That's all he needs.
 
I don't like lawsuits on cases like this because of reasons you all know about, but god damn, if this were my wife, sister, or mother, i would sue everyone i could including that scum cop and his family for as much as i could. A one, followed by 50 zeros.....money talks, and the only way this shits gonna end is to drain the coffers.
 
Husband of Sunday School Teacher Killed by Culpeper Cop Files $5 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Gary Cook, the husband of a retired Sunday school teacher who was shot and killed by a Culpeper police officer who then apparently lied about what caused him to shoot, has filed a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit against Det. Daniel W. Harmon-Wright and the city of Culpeper, Virginia:

The suit, which was filed on behalf of Gary Cook on May 11 in Culpeper County Circuit Court, seeks $5 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages from the detective who shot and killed Patricia Cook on Feb. 9.

For the first time since the shooting, the suit identifies the officer involved in the shooting as Daniel W. Harmon-Wright, aka Daniel W. Sullivan. Cook and his legal team claim in the suite that the detective's actions "constituted an utter disregard of caution amounting to a complete neglect of the safety of another person."

The lawsuit alleges: "When Harmon-Wright drew his gun and fired, Mrs. Cook was not endangering his life...or any other person." Cook did not have a weapon.
 
If only azxd was still around, today is his favorite day, Peace Officer's Memorial Day!
 
Thanks Phill, I started the Facebook page and petition because, at the 10 week mark, there had not been a single comment in our local paper or anywhere else for the 5 weeks prior to that. The officer is still on the payroll and no charges have been filed. We've now reached almost 900 signatures ( mine was the only one for a while ). The truly sad thing is how few people in our town have signed. Many are afraid, but most are just apathetic and simply want to not rock the boat. Thank you for your kind words. If you haven't already done so, please consider signing our petition. I plan on delivering it to the Special Prosecutor on June 1. We still need about 115 signatures to reach our original goal of 1,000 ( there's a petition about a dog being shot by a police officer in D.C. and they've got 33,000 signatures -- sad that a retired Sunday School teacher doesn't muster 1/33 of the sympathy for a shot dog -- not that that doesn't deserve sympathy, but she certainly deserves as much ). Obviously, the petition has no legal bearing on anything, but is an attempt to counteract the clear political pressure to bury this shooting. Not a single local official has called for any eventual release of information, and in VA, the special grand jury, has the authority to exonerate the officer and seal all testimony. This exact thing happened a few years ago in Appomattox, in a death where 6 sheriff's deputies swarmed an unarmed man and he died. It took 2 years to exonerate them all, never went to trial and no details were ever released. I'm cautiously optimistic that the Special Grand Jury ( which is expected to complete in mid-end June ) will do the right thing and either indict this officer, or release all the evidence, with a clearly justifiable reason for shooting Mrs Cook. That will be a difficult process as the death certificate makes it clear that she was shot in the arm, head, neck, and multiple times in the back.. and ballistics show that he followed her from the parking lot and continued to unload his glock into her vehicle as she attempted to drive away ( in one of the busiest parts of town, in the middle of the day ... endangering anyone who might have been passing by ).
 
As they say that new users must have at least 3 entries before posting a link, I guess I post some blank ones before I can post the link to the petition:
 
Culpeper officer indicted for murder in woman’s shooting

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.

via Balko
 
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.

After a 3 month vacation... Sigh.

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.

Oh mama.
 
Contempt of Cop.

Sentence: summary execution.

Sylvester-Stallone_Judge_l.jpg
 
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