Grandmother Dead After Leading Police On High-Speed Chase

A New Hampshire grandmother was shot dead by police after a high-speed car chase. Police told NBC that Wendy Lawrence of Canterbury, N.H., took off after a patrolman pulled her over for driving erratically.

When the cop returned to his cruiser to run her license he found it was suspended, and that's when she took off.

Several state troopers were involved in the dangerous chase, which ended with gunfire. Lawrence was hit four times and taken to Elliot Hospital where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed she died of a single gunshot wound to the chest

http://autos.aol.com/article/grandmother-dead--leading-police-on-high-speed-chase/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058&

 

This PISSES ME OFF so bad!

A 45 year old grandmother, driving erratically with a suspended license and a lenghty arrest record, gets pulled over. She initiated the chase when she took off, possibly to avoid incarceration.

What was the rest of the story? Did she try to run through a barricade and run over a cop?

Personal responsibility....she chose the scenerio.

She had a long list of run-ins with the law.  It said there was gunfire--was she shooting at the cops?  Not enough information to know if the cops were justified in shooting her.

Nekochan wrote:She had a long list of run-ins with the law.  It said there was gunfire--was she shooting at the cops?  Not enough information to know if the cops were justified in shooting her.

she didn't have a gun. had she had a gun and was shooting at cops I would not be angry.

The police need to explain their reaction.

Morale of the story -------Don't run from the police. In 9 out of 10 incidents, it ain't going to have an ending you were expecting.

So that being said, let's play out this scenario. The autopsy indicates she died of a single gunshot to the chest. If she was fleeing, how did she sustain a chest wound going away from the cops. Could it be that the cop(s) was in front setting up spike strips or such and this grandmother used a 4000 lb deadly weapon by aiming it at the cop. This is just a hypothetical theory, but in my opinion, one that does bare some scrutiny.

Fleeing and sustaining a fatal chest wound does not add up.

Deadly force should not be used typically in a traffic related offense where the officer or the public are not at risk of imminent death. If an officer was at risk, or a member of the general public was going to be struck by the vehicle, the officer could use deadly force. We do not have all the facts, but generally this type of shooting is entirely unnecessary. We have a growing problem in this country, and until folks are prosecuted for improper use of force, it will continue to grow. A chest wound does not tell us if it was an entry or exit wound. I think a police spokesman would not put out a press release which stated that the grandmother died from wounds having been shot in the back........I have never in my 61 years seen that initial press release, but have seen the investigation reveal the same many times. Running from a police officer who has made a traffic stop is a crime, it is not a capital offense, and most officers are neither judge nor jury when the decide to execute a citizen.

2seaoat wrote:Deadly force should not be used typically in a traffic related offense where the officer or the public are not at risk of imminent death.  If an officer was at risk, or a member of the general public was going to be struck by the vehicle, the officer could use deadly force.   We do not have all the facts, but generally this type of shooting is entirely unnecessary.   We have a growing problem in this country, and until folks are prosecuted for improper use of force, it will continue to grow.  A chest wound does not tell us if it was an entry or exit wound.   I think a police spokesman would not put out a press release which stated that the grandmother died from wounds having been shot in the back........I have never in my 61 years seen that initial press release, but have seen the investigation reveal the same many times.  Running from a police officer who has made a traffic stop is a crime, it is not a capital offense, and most officers are neither judge nor jury when the decide to execute a citizen.

I do not believe that with the caliber of weapons that most LE use today that a fired bullet would go through the car, then the seat and exit the chest. By that time it would have lost most of its momentum.

From this photo of her car, it would appear that she was shot while the vehicle was pointed in the direction of the cops, thus the cr could have been a deadly weapon.

I think it was excessive and I am a police supporter, I htink we all know that. I have family who are police officers.

But this seems excessive. They knew who she was and could have picked her up later.

Im with the guy, what ever happened to shooting out the tires. I just think popping this many caps off in this woman for a traffic violation is too much.

I will gladly eat my words if more evidence comes out.

The police do not have the right to use deadly force on a misdemeanor charge. They knew who she was and where she lived. Murder.

Dreamsglore wrote:The police do not have the right to use deadly force on a misdemeanor charge. They knew who she was and where she lived. Murder.

Once she chose to flee, it was no longer a misdemeanor, it became a felony and as you can see from the photo, the vehicle was headed toward the State Police, this it was considered a deadly weapon. No difference in this than where the ECSO deputy shot and killed another deputies son a few years ago. The son was using his vehicle as a deadly weapon. The ECSO shooter was exonerated.

I am not saying the police were right or wrong, I am just discussing a completely different scenario, specially since none of us were there and know the complete story. We all have opinions and each one of us believe that our opinion is the right and only one.

No that is not correct,Ghost. Unless they changed the laws since I was a Leo you cannot shoot someone fleeing from a misdemeanor. The picture just shows where one of the cop cars pulled up. There is no indication or evidence she fled in the direction of the cops.

Dreamsglore wrote:No that is not correct,Ghost. Unless they changed the laws since I was a Leo you cannot shoot someone fleeing from a misdemeanor. The picture just shows where one of the cop cars pulled up. There is no indication or evidence she fled in the direction of the cops.

If the cops were not in front of her, then tell me how she died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Also how did those 11 bullet holes get into the windshield driver's side.

What part of fleeing do you not understand is a felony and not a misdemeanor? What part of use of a deadly weapon(vehicle) do you not understand. Like I said earlier, I do not know the whole story and neither do you, but I am willing to give the Troopers benefit of the doubt until such time as the investigation is completed.

Ghost Rider wrote:

Dreamsglore wrote:No that is not correct,Ghost. Unless they changed the laws since I was a Leo you cannot shoot someone fleeing from a misdemeanor. The picture just shows where one of the cop cars pulled up. There is no indication or evidence she fled in the direction of the cops.

If the cops were not in front of her, then tell me how she died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Also how did those 11 bullet holes get into the windshield driver's side.

What part of fleeing do you not understand is a felony and not a misdemeanor? What part of use of a deadly weapon(vehicle) do you not understand. Like I said earlier, I do not know the whole story and neither do you, but I am willing to give the Troopers benefit of the doubt until such time as the investigation is completed.

Not correct, Ghost. You cannot turn a misdemeanor into a felony when someone flees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_v._Garner