54-Year-Old Woman Patricia Cook Killed in Police Shooting in Culpeper

My Fox DC ^ | February 10, 2012 | Audrey Barnes

[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.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“Not sure why she was in the parking lot at that time. “

At 10:00 am?? So we should all face being shot if we are in the wrong parking lot at 10:00 am????

[kanawa]

More reports on the August 12, 2011 incident mentioned above.

[ArtDodger]

Well, Heartland. It was a private parking lot of a day school for little kids. I would hope that someone would, seeing an unfamiliar car and person there, either check it out or have someone look into it. This wasn't in the paper but I had heard that her jeep was also in the lot the previous day and when it showed up there again the following day, someone called the police to check it out. It is easy to judge after the fact but if someone snatched a kid it would be easy for the back benchers to say, ‘Why wasn't the stranger jeep checked out right away? Why was it uninvestigated when it was in the parking lot for 2 days?” I will wait for the State Police to issue a report....

[CodeToad]

“According to the eye witness, the cop apparently executed her for failing to respect his authority...
“

If true, then We the People need to return the favor. The death penalty is just for this type of situation.

[kanawa]

Video of 2nd witness Gary

[cherry]

all the cop has to do is to say that the woman looked like she could hurt him, or his feelings, and then shot her point blank....that’s the way they do around here...his word against hers...

[cherry]

just like the story about the handcuffed young woman making a dash out the door and the fat slob cop just tazed her instead of just tackling her...he had to know she had no way to break her fall....basically, brain dead now...

these cops have been given too much power...they cover for each other....once they kill someone, they can tell whatever story they want to...

be afraid...be very afraid....

[cherry]

I'd pull into a church parking lot if I had to use my cell phone or just wanted to eat my lunch....church parking lots are not restricted as far as I know....

the only thing we know is this woman who has no record, known as a good person who helps children, married, was in a parking lot, in her own vehicle when she was murdered....

driving away from a cop is NOT a reason to arrest her, charge her, convict her, then murder her....

wake up people

[kanawa]

My posts #160 and #162, on closer exam, are not related to this story.

They involved the Culpeper County Police, not the Culpeper Town Police.

[Forgotten Amendments]

FWIW - Culpepper has worse traffic than Manhattan. Nice little town that got ruined. I used to love to stop @ Baby Jim's on my way past, but it's just not worth the hassle now.

[Mr.Unique]

Right, Immerito

Fail.

[kanawa]

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'He gunned down my sister' Published: February 26, 2012

The younger brother of the Culpeper homemaker shot dead by a local police officer said his family is shocked, and like many here, cannot understand what happened on the morning of Feb. 9.

On that day in a Catholic school parking lot on North East Street, Patricia Ann Cook reportedly had a physical altercation with a still-unidentified Culpeper Police officer after the school called authorities to report a suspicious person.

As the interaction between the officer and Cook progressed, according to the Virginia State Police, lead agency in the investigation, she trapped the officer’s arm in her car window and pulled away.

The officer told her to stop, and then fired multiple times before Cook, driving a Jeep Wrangler, crashed into a telephone pole about a block away. A churchgoer, housewife and retired cosmetologist originally from Illinois, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting occurred on a Thursday around 10 a.m. in a residential area off of Main Street in close proximity to a school, church and shelter for abused women.

“It’s a tragedy for my family, the people of Culpeper, the family of the police officer – everybody involved,” said Cook’s brother, John Weglier, of N.J. “It’s unbelievable.”

The news was even harder to bear because it happened on the birthday of their father, who passed away last year.

“It would have been his 86th birthday. I was horrified,” Weglier said.

Two days earlier on Feb. 7, Patricia Cook celebrated her 54th birthday.

“It is just absolutely terrible,” the brother said. “I can’t imagine my sister in that situation or what the officer was thinking. He gunned down my sister. It is just insane.”

Weglier said his sister received maybe one speeding ticket in her life and that was the extent of her interaction with police. She never shot a gun and never had a weapon, he said

Weglier attended last Sunday’s memorial service for his sister at Culpeper United Methodist, where Mrs. Cook was active in the children’s ministry, quilters’ guild and in the church kitchen.

Their mother, Carol Weglier, also of N.J., was unable to attend, said John, as she is wheelchair bound and unable to travel long distances.

In trying to comprehend how their loved one ended up dead in a police altercation, Weglier recalled a conversation Pat had with her mother years ago involving a criminal in Illinois who was impersonating an officer, would pull women over and then rape them.

“The only thing mom and I have come up with is either Pat felt threatened or Pat or didn’t understand why a man in uniform was coming up to her car,” Weglier said.

“Maybe she recalled that conversation with mom. The response they talked about was just drive to the police station. That is possible what she was thinking if she was confused or overly anxious that might explain her trying to leave – I don’t know.”

Patricia Ann Cook moved to Culpeper in 2004 soon after marrying Gary Cook, who works for the federal government, and is said to be pursuing a lawsuit against the town in his wife’s death.

Weglier said Pat was happy here.

“I am very pleased that she found the Christian family she found at the Methodist church,” Weglier said. “I knew Pat had found love and a healthy place for her – that is the primary source of joy that I got in all of this. Our only comfort is she found God and Christ was her savior and she was loved by the church there.”

Mrs. Cook’s body was transported to the medical examiner’s office in Manassas for autopsy, which has since been completed. She was cremated, according to her brother, and her remains placed in a mahogany urn in the sanctuary at her memorial service.

She will be laid to rest in Mr. Cook’s family plot in Illinois.

Nancy Bull, district administrator with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manassas, when asked about the autopsy results, said they only release the cause and manner of death, when available.

She said the case is still under investigation, as did the state police when asked recently for updates in the shooting death that has stunned and angered many in Culpeper.

Weglier said a VSP agent asked him a few questions, but that he did not receive much information about the deadly

incident. Cook’s brother recalled growing up with a sister who was “very cool” and “clever.” Pat did a lot of the cooking and cleaning, and had a witty sense of humor, said Weglier, remembering a time when she sent him off to school with a peanut and Cheerios sandwich.

He expressed his appreciation to the Culpeper community for its outpouring of support and asked for prayers for his family.

Weglier said he would be praying for the community and the police officer’s family. He hoped local leadership would make the right decision in investigating his sister’s death.

Meanwhile, a mother continues to mourn the loss of her daughter.

“Mom is shocked,” Weglier said. “Her primary question is why would someone shoot Pat? She doesn’t understand and how am I supposed to explain it?”

[PLMerite]

Thanks for the update.

Unless drugs/alcohol/mental illness were involved, this is very strange.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Sorry for your loss.

Keep us posted.

[Altariel]

Thank you for the update.

It’s downright criminal that the officer has not been named.

[21twelve]

It very well could be the fear of an impersonator - especially if she felt she had no reason to be approached by a cop (no lights on, etc.).

Although in the first article when her husband mentioned she might have been there looking for a job - I was thinking that perhaps she had talked to them about a job there. Perhaps she asked about working with kids. “Really - I’m kind of desperate for work - anything would help...” Perhaps the folks inside thought she was too persistent, or why was she asking to be around the kids when we don’t have a help wanted sign up, or ....

And then, sitting in her car quietly, perhaps praying, the cop starts asking a bunch of questions, accused of being “suspicious” and she gets upset because all she is trying to do is earn some money, help out, collecting her thoughts, etc. and she just wants to be left alone and she drives off.

Add in the part about it being the one-year anniversary of her dad’s death and I could almost see that as putting the gal in a real lousy mood. But I doubt the story of him getting his arm caught in the hand-crank window is true.

[GracieOMalley]

This was a bad shoot.

Some cops have zero common sense.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Thank you. I do appreciate the updates. It sounds like God called in a good one. On the other hand, the officer too will have to account for this episode before God. If everything went the way he said, then it will be a cakewalk for him. If not, then he is going to have to account for his actions.

I refuse to believe the cop is some evil beast that gets off on killing nice people. I have to believe he just over-reacted out of fear or something, which lead to the lie spiraling out of control.

This case baffles me. I can’t begin to imagine a rational reason why he would have to reach into a car, let alone shoot it while fleeing. I just can’t. Reason would say, get the plate number and radio ahead. She can’t hide forever.

This one is just painful. I don’t think the cop is feeling too good right now, but the fact remains he is alive and his bullets killed a very nice person for NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

Just tragic, if that is the right word. Shameful or disgusting might be another couple that work.

[starlifter]

Excellent strategy. He killed her because she might hurt the children. Hysterical, irrational fear justifies anything these days.

[The Cajun]

Hand crank window!
The cop's story is bogus or he's a total dumb ass.

There are many ways he could have handled this without killing her, shoot out both tires on the drivers side, get her plates, call for backup, etc., etc.

I think she panicked trying to figure out what was happening, especially if doing nothing wrong (easy to understand for a timid, small town woman), rolled up her window out of fear and the idiot cop overreacted 1000%.