Florida police chief, officer arrested in woman’s fatal shooting at citizen’s academy exercise

A Florida police chief and one of his officers are facing charges in the fatal shooting of a 73-year-old retired librarian during a citizen’s academy “shoot/don’t shoot” class last summer.

Fox 13 Tampa reports that Punta Gorda Police Chief Tom Lewis and Officer Lee Coel were arrested Wednesday following an investigation by the State Attorney’s Office.

Coel, 28, is facing a manslaughter charge that could put him behind bars for up to 30 years. Lewis was charged with culpable negligence, a misdemeanor.

The retired librararian, Mary Knowlton, was a volunteer in a role-playing exercise designed to show citizens what officers face in life-and-death situations, the station reported. Knowlton played a cop and Coel played a bad guy.

The station reports that Knowlton was hit with a live round from Coel’s gun, which should have been loaded with blanks. She was taken to a hospital where she died.

Defense attorney Jerry Barry said Wednesday that Coel didn’t know the gun was loaded with live ammo.

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