STUPID COP IS AS STUPID COP DOES WITH A GUN

Officer who fired gun with live rounds charged in Citizen's Academy death

By Carlos R. Munoz

Saratoga Herald-Tribune
February 23, 2017

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Florida -- The Punta Gorda police officer involved in the fatal shooting of a retired librarian during an August community police academy has been arrested and will face manslaughter charges, state prosecutors said.

Lee Coel, 28, was arrested earlier today, accused of felony manslaughter.

Punta Gorda Police Chief Tom Lewis was charged with culpable negligence, a misdemeanor, but not arrested. Lewis received a summons to appear in court.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents completed their criminal investigation into the Aug. 9 shooting and submitted their report to prosecutors in the 20th Judicial Circuit, who found probable cause to charge both Coel and Lewis.

"There is a very voluminous amount of information we reviewed," State Attorney Stephen B. Russell said during a press conference on Wednesday. "We looked at the crime scene, photographs and videos of the incident. We went through a large volume of investigative material from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Many people were interviewed for what happened at the scene.

"Looking at the totality of the facts and evidence brought our office to this decision."

Russell said the FDLE report would not be available until discovery is requested by the defense. The report would then be made public to those who request it. That may not happen for several weeks, he said.

"To the citizens of Charlotte County, I want to say that while my office is endeavoring to responsibly address this difficult, somewhat unique, tragic event, Charlotte County continues to be well served by its law enforcement community," Russell said.

In what was billed as a training demonstration as part of a special "Chamber Police Night" for local business leaders and others at the police department, Coel pointed a revolver -- which he believed was loaded with blanks -- at 73-year-old Mary Knowlton and pulled the trigger several times, according to accounts.

Knowlton fell dead. Her husband watched just feet away.

Lewis placed Coel, hired by the agency in 2014, on paid administrative leave, a common response to officer-involved shootings.

Punta Gorda City Manager Howard Kunik said in November that a "fair" and "mutual" deal was reached between the family of the retired librarian and the city of Punta Gorda. The Knowlton family was paid $2,060,234.23 from the city's insurance and damage recovery funds.

The settlement agreement signed by Gary Knowlton and his attorney was approved unanimously by the Punta Gorda City Council as a consent agenda item.

"Obviously, this is a sad tragedy for everyone involved," said Julie McGillivray during citizen's comments.

Kunik said the agreement did not affect the FDLE investigation, and that the settlement was not an admission of guilt. He said it was meant to avoid the cost of a lawsuit.

Coel, a K-9 officer, also was involved in a $70,000 settlement between Punta Gorda and Richard Schumacher. The settlement stemmed from an October 2015 incident where Coel attempted to stop Schumacher from riding his bike, which had a broken taillight, using his trained police dog.

In Coel's dashcam video he is heard saying, "Stop now or I'll send the dog."

Schumacher did not obey and the 28-year-old officer parked his car and released his dog, "Spirit," which chased Schumacher who was on foot.

Schumacher' had bite injuries that were so severe he required surgery and an 11-day hospital stay. He pled guilty to DUI on a bicycle and obstructing a police officer without violence.

Kunik said an outside consultant who specializes in cases involving police dogs said in October that Coel should not be fired.

That was two months after the death of Knowlton.

EDITOR’S NOTE: That’s why Houston Police Department uses plugged up guns with vents drilled into the bottom of the barrels in training programs where blank firing is used.