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.
‘A little light that shone’
An ashen sky punctuated Sunday’s somber memorial service for Patricia Ann Cook, a Culpeper resident and churchgoer remembered for her wit, creativity, gentleness, kindness and servant’s heart.
The untimely observance was held at Culpeper United Methodist, where Mrs. Cook was active in the children’s ministry, quilters’ guild and in the church kitchen, where she would try out new dishes to serve to fellow parishioners on Wednesday nights.
“She always called me kid,” said church member Lori Davis, remembering Cook’s recipes, cooked with a lot of love, she said. “Pat was very eager to help.”
Everyone else was “hon,” others recalled.
But her passion was children, said Davis, who like others recalled Cook’s Sunday School crafts and special treats. Childless herself, Cook gave endlessly to the children at church and in her own neighborhood.
“There was a little light that shone through Pat,” Davis said. “It was God’s light.”
A picture emerged at the memorial service of a faithful homemaker, loving wife and loyal friend who loved to read her Bible, collect seashells and give to others. This portrait, repeated time and again, made it even more difficult to comprehend the manner of Cook’s death.
Just two days after she turned 54, the retired cosmetologist, originally from Illinois, was shot dead February 9 in a reported physical altercation with a Culpeper Police officer on East Street.
Virginia State Police say the unidentified officer had his arm trapped in the driver’s side window of Cook’s Jeep and was being dragged alongside the vehicle as she pulled away from the parking lot of Epiphany Catholic School. The officer was called to the scene for a report of a suspicious person.
It remains unknown why Cook was in the school parking lot that morning or exactly what happened to cause her violent death. An eyewitness has said the officer’s arm was never trapped, and that he was not being dragged.
The VSP has not released any new information since the days following the tragic incident that has left the Culpeper community angered and stunned.
Cook left behind a husband of nearly eight years, Gary Cook, and a brother and mother, both residents of New Jersey.
The Rev. Randy Orndorff, pastor at Culpeper United Methodist, acknowledged the mixture of emotions surrounding Cook’s sudden passing – rage, anger, sadness and grief – and that there remained more questions than answers. In addition, he spoke of love, compassion and forgiveness in a message, “Weave Us Together, Lord.”
Orndorff asked for prayers for Mr. Cook and Mrs. Cook’s brother, in attendance Sunday, and her mother, who was not there. The reverend also said, “We do pray for the police officer and his family and everybody involved.”
“There is still much to work through,” Orndorff said. “We have to find ways to move forward.”
A palatable sense of disbelief permeated the sanctuary Sunday, where examples of Cook’s simple works were displayed. Her quilts decorated the altar, and at the entrance were her crafts and crafts made for her by the church’s children – a butterfly of tissue paper and a clothespin, a dragonfly of popsicle sticks and glitter.
Photographs of Mrs. Cook showed her surrounded by children, including a large image projected at the front in which she had her arms raised as if in song.
“To be such a petite woman, Pat had a tremendous heart,” said Davis.
She had a sense of humor too, noted Pastor Nancy Palmer, saying what she most remembered about the fellow parishioner was when she would complement Cook on her meals.
“She would always say, ‘Well, kiss the cook,’” Palmer said.
Pat always tried to make others feel special, Orndorff said, and her passing leaves a lot of hurt.
“How do we handle it? Through our faith,” the pastor said.
Patricia Cook made the most of her 54 years, Orndorff went on, sharing a lesson he knows from experience having lost his teenaged daughter in a car accident: “Be careful not to focus on what you lost, and I know you lost a lot. Focus on what you had.”
In addition to church friends and family, several town government officials attended Sunday’s service including Culpeper Mayor Chip Coleman and Culpeper Police Chief Chris Jenkins.
http://www2.starexponent.com/news/2012/feb/20/little-light-shone-ar-1702078/
Are you saying the woman did not attempt to flee the scene?
According to the story her car ended up crashed into a pole. Did the cop reach in and put the vehicle in gear? I think the witness would have noticed that.
“The Culpeper town spokesperson says the officer’s cruiser did have a video camera, but that it was not working. He also said the officer did not turn on his blue lights. “
Thank you for verifying that “malfunctioning” is a lie.
Are you done with your personal attacks, or are you still trying to defend the Government Agent who unjustifiably shot a law-abiding citizen?
I am saying what I actually wrote. Apparently you cannot refute it.
“The Culpeper town spokesperson says the officer’s cruiser did have a video camera, but that it was not working. He also said the officer did not turn on his blue lights. If he had, it would’ve been a sign that he was detaining the person, says attorney and former Fairfax County Police officer Ted Sibert . If the person is not being detained, she should be free to go, Sibert says.”
“Unless someone inside is holding on to you, or you are holding on to something, you will not be dragged. And no windows rolls up fast enough to catch a person who is awake.”
Precisely. The officer’s version fails the smell test on those points alone.
Sounds like it was a good service.
Immerito, I mean Altariel is a serial cop-hater. He believes his delusions are reality.
Its a waste of time to try to reason with him.
Argumentum ad hominem is not “reasonable” or “logical”; but it is a device used by those who cannot defend their positions logically.
Sure, Immerito.
Thank you for confirming that you cannot defend your positions logically.
Right, Immerito.
Your persistence in playing games only highlights your failure to logically and soundly defend this officer.
But you have already revealed what you are to the forum, and I highly doubt you will change, unless you are willing to do so.
Thank you for confirming earlier that the “malfunctioning” camera claim was indeed a lie. I hope that you will come to admit that the officer’s claims of being dragged by a vehicle going 40-50 miles an hour are all lies as well, given the lack of serious injuries, torn clothing, and scuff marks which would be present had such an incident occurred.
Translation: You can’t produce them, and the officers haven’t even claimed their existence, or they would have done it by now.
Uh huh, Immerito.
I see that you still cannot defend your argument, per your continued game playing.
We’ll see if any of the other defenders of the Government Agent are ready to discuss with the adults.
“The insults and rudeness you have been tossing around on this forum since your arrival, indicate a low level of maturity. We have enough members of that type presently, without help from you. “
Indeed. Conservatives ought to hold themselves to a higher standard of behavior.
It will be interesting to see what happens when this case goes to trial. Hopefully the grieving widower will win.
A good question might be, just why is he here at all, if he clearly dislikes the comments he reads and delights in belittling the posters?
???
You aren't making sense to me. Refute what?
I'll buy the story as it's written. (shrug) According to the story the suspicious loiterer, who had been reported to police, attempted to flee the scene when a cop confronted her as part of his job to check out the report. And now she's dead, shot by the cop. What's to refute?
My point is that Darwin was clearly at work here. If a cop in the performance of his duties asks you for your ID, show the stinking cop your ID. Big deal. Otherwise, what can happen is you can end up dead like this woman did, especially if you attempt to flee the scene.
Anyway, what was this woman doing in that school parking lot if she wasn't selling drugs to kids? Having an affair with a teenage boy? Nothing surprises me anymore.
Is it just me, or does shooting shooting the driver while being dragged seem the stupidest possible course of action? I mean a dead person isn’t going to stop the now moving vehicle and the live person is more likely to floor the gas from pain and adrenaline.
The most reasonable course of action is to extricate yourself as quickly as possible, and as long as the vehicle is moving away, take the license number and call backup. Unless the car is being maneuvered to threaten the police or others, shooting is just spite and murder.
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.