Posted on 09/24/2012 9:37:16 AM PDT by Altariel
The Altavista police officer who shot and killed an 83-year-old woman Wednesday night is now on administrative leave.
We still don't know the officer's name, but reports say that person is a 10-year veteran of the police force. State police are still investigating.
The shooting happened Wednesday night at a home on 10th Street in Altavista.
Delma Towler was shot while attempting to walk to her sister's house.
She was apparently trying to get away from what she thought was an intruder, trying to break into her house.
Towler's funeral is 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon at the Altavista Church of Christ.
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10:10 p.m. Thursday
No clear answers in the death of an 83-year-old woman. She was shot to death by Altavista officers Wednesday night.
It happened at a home on 10th Street in Altavista. Around 10 o'clock on Wednesday night, Delma Towler dialed 911 and then hung up.
Virginia State Police report Altavista police sent officers to check on the house. Towler's son Robert Barbour says she thought somebody was trying to break in.
"She's had intruders around there before," says Barbour.
According to a statement released by Virginia State Police, Altavista officers arrived at the house and "heard shots fired from within the residence. As the officers took cover, they saw a woman armed with a handgun leave the back of the house."
Barbour says she was probably trying to scare away any would-be intruders.
"She heard some noise and she thought it was somebody out there trying to break in and she shot two or three bullets," says Barbour.
Here's where the disagreement lies. Virginia State Police report that "the officers approached the woman, commanding her repeatedly to put down her weapon. She refused to comply and pointed her weapon at the officers. The woman, Delma Towler... was subsequently shot. "
Barbour says police have it all wrong.
"Mom ain't gonna hurt no police officer or nobody else," says Barbour, "She was a good christian woman and she wouldn't hurt a soul."
Barbour says his mother was walking to her sister's house two doors up.
"My aunt was holding the door open for her to come in and my aunt said she heard three shots like bang, bang, bang and she went down," says Barbour.
Towler died at the scene.
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5:00 p.m. update from the Virginia State Police:
A spokeswoman from the Virginia State Police says Altavista Police Officers made several attempts to determine if anyone was inside Delma Towler's home and then heard shots fired from inside.
Officers took cover and watched her leave the house with a gun in her hand. They followed her as she walked up to another home.
They approached Towler, and commanded her repeatedly to put down her gun. Officers say she refused and pointed her weapon at them. She was then shot and died at the scene.
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According to family members, an 83-year-old woman was shot and killed by an Altavista police officer Wednesday night.
Family members tell WDBJ7 that Delma Towler called police because she thought someone was breaking into her home on 10th Street.
Relatives say the 83-year-old was wandering behind her house. WDBJ7 has learned Delma may have fired a gunshot through her back door.
She then left her house and tried to walk through her backyard to the home of her sister who, lives two doors away.
Delma got all the way to her sister's back porch and that's when family members say she was shot by a police officer.
"I heard something this morning on the news that something happened in Altavista," Carl Barbour, the victim's grandson said. "But I never thought it would be my grandmother. I mean, I thought it would be something to do with a drug-related problem, or something in that nature. Then I get called when I'm at work that it's my grandmother. And I'm like 'What?' Because I can't believe it."
Delma died before she was taken to the hospital. We're told that paramedics arrived at the scene quickly and tried to revive her, but they were not able to save her.
Family members say the woman lived at 813 10th Street in Altavista. The incident happened around 10 p.m.
Check back soon for more updates.
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We're waiting to learn what caused an Altavista police officer to shoot and kill a woman in a home there.
State police say it happened around 10 p.m. Wednesday night on Tenth street.
The Altavista Police Department asked state police to investigate the incident.
The names of the officer of woman involved have not been released.
We'll bring you updates as they come into the newsroom.
So now they’re shooting old ladies for sport, along with dogs.
These donut-munchers need to get a kneecap or two themselves from outraged citizens.
Input , Need more input.
Well, now you know there is a murderer there.
Only problem: You don’t know his name.
I hope you don’t have any elderly friends or relatives in Alta Vista.
Input...she was an 83 yr old lady who had reported somebody being on her property or in her house. It was night and it was dark. Her sister lived a couple of houses away and she had called her sister and told her and the sister said come over to my house to get away from whatever the threat was. So on her way, out the back door of her house, to her sister’s house, and while holding a handgun in her hand apparently for protection from whomever was around there, she was approached by police and shot dead. We don’t know the exact details. The police claim they ordered her to put down her gun and she refused, continuing to point it in their direction, so they killed her. But we weren’t there and don’t know. But even if she did that, too bad the cops didn’t understand that the home resident was in fear for her safety and was fleeing her home to get away from an intruder. But they treated her like the criminal and if true she didn’t respond to their commands, and they killed her, talk about a wrong reaction to a natural defensive action she took.
Cop was cornered by disabled man, says police spokesman
(Cornered by disabled man with a deadly "shiny" pen.)
There is no situation so bad that it cannot be made worse by involving the police.
She must have growled at him.
forestva at 10:15 AM September 22, 2012
“Her hearing aid and glasses were found in her house. She could not have seen or heard the police; however, her sister was standing at her door waiting for her and she heard nothing either.”
Funny if it were a citizens who did the shooting the name would be plastered all over the media
. State police are still investigating.
Why bother? We all know what the outcome of the "investigation" will be. The officer will have been found to have followed "departmental procedures" with no consequences to anyone except the old lady and her family.
These uppidity slaves gotta be taught their place.
How’s this?
Trigger-happy bastards with badges strike again.
It’s disturbing how many people in the comments are willing to defend the murder of an 83 year old lady simply because a cop was the perpetrator.
The same people who would never dream of asking a member of the Bloods or the Grips if a murder committed by a fellow gang member was justified are more than happy to take the word of fellow officers that murder-by-cop is justified.
You call the cops, there’s always the chance that something like this can happen. From deaf kids with rakes (Detroit) to a mentally disabled adults, police know at least one outcome: They’re going home at the end of their shift.
“NEVER invite ‘The Man’ into your life.”
Update:
Delma Towler’s daughter says the 83-year-old was protecting herself. She was a good Christian woman, who had never fired a gun in her life. She says Towler would never have fired at an officer.
“If she were shooting at somebody to kill, she wouldn’t have been shooting at the ceiling. She’s just trying to frighten them away,” said Clark.
Family says there may have been an intruder. Their proof: Towler’s pocketbook is gone.
“And she kept it sitting right here beside her recliner - and it’s missing,” said Clark, pointing to a table alongside the living room chair.
Events inside Towler’s home are just the start; questions remain about Towler’s final moments. Her family says, for safety, Towler left her own home and walked to her sister’s two doors down. It was there, an officer shot and killed Towler. Her sister Margaret says she saw the whole thing.
“And Margaret said she did not have a gun pointed at anybody. She was trying to get in to the deck gate to get in to the house,” said Clark.
But, the state police investigation indicates Towler refused to put down her gun. Her family says Towler couldn’t have seen or heard the officer. Her glasses were in her home and her hearing aids off.
http://www.wset.com/story/19608792/family-believes-towler-couldnt-see-or-hear-officers
Update:
The police “heard shots fired from within the residence. As the officers took cover, they saw a woman armed with a handgun leave the back of the house,” according to a statement released by the Virginia State Police.
The two responding officers claim that they fired Towler after she refused to put her weapon down. The woman reportedly did not have her glasses on or hearing aid in at the time.
The police statement also alleges that Towler pointed her gun at the officers — a point her son Robert Barbour does not buy.
“Mom ain’t gonna hurt no police officer or nobody else. She was a good Christian woman and she wouldn’t hurt a soul,” Barbour said.
The officer who killed Towler is currently on administrative leave, according to WDBJ7.
“If I have to spend every penny, someone’s going to pay,” said Langford. “They took my mama.”
Incremental steps.
Soon they’ll work up the nerve to whack the 60 year olds.
With an 83 year old “cop killer” gramma, apparently.
/s
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