Woman who was shot accidentally by police files 1.5 million dollar lawsuit according to Masslive.com:
Britteney Miles, a pregnant mother of two who was accidentally shot in the face by a former Agawam police officer in 2012, is suing police and the town for $1.5 million in federal court.
The complaint, filed April 29, names former officer Danielle Petrangelo, the town, Police Chief Eric Gillis, and two unnamed officers. It alleges police engaged in a cover-up to justify Petrangelo drawing her gun when they received a 911 call for a possible break-in at the Elizabeth Manor Apartments on May 5, 2012.
Miles, then 21, went to open the door for police while holding her young daughter in her arms when Petrangelo’s gun accidentally went off, according to accounts of the incident.
“Britteney Miles noticed the officer outside her apartment and went to her front door with her daughter in her arms … Officer Petrangelo knocked on same with her foot while holding her service revolver at chest level, pointed at the door. As Miles unlocked and started to open the solid wood door, she heard a loud noise and saw a bright light,” the complaint states. “Officer Petrangelo had discharged her firearm through the door, striking Ms. Miles in the face and chin.”
Police at the time justified Petrangelo’s actions by stating that responding officers heard glass breaking, yelling and a commotion inside the apartment. However, Miles’ lawsuit states that only she and her two young children were in the apartment at the time. Neighbors also said the only sound they heard was glass breaking before the police arrived.
Typical police story. Get a call for help, create harm instead, make up story to justify harm and get cleared by your colleagues. What’s even more insane, IMO, is that Officer Petrangelo was cleared of any wrongdoing despite having some questionable circumstances during her career. Also from Masslive.com:
Mastroianni issued a report that cleared Petrangelo of criminal wrongdoing and referred the matter to Agawam police for an internal investigation. They would not say whether they intended to discipline Petrangelo, but she was placed on paid leave following the shooting.The former district attorney also accused Agawam police in writing of favoritism after they discovered Petrangelo driving the wrong way down Route 5 in June of the same year. Mastroianni accused a police official of offering “preferential treatment” to Petrangelo following a motor vehicle incident he said should have resulted in drunken driving and operating to endanger charges.
She was not charged. Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen has said previously that Petrangelo no longer works for the police department but officials have never disclosed the timing or circumstances of her departure.
I’ve been CopBlocking a few police checkpoints here in Ohio as of late and police there are always telling me that if they can save one life, it justifies (or makes) the checkpoint worth wild. I guess the cops who stopped Petrangelo had a different viewpoint. Maybe if they had treated her the same way they do everyone else, she wouldn’t have been a cop the night she accidentally fired her gun into a pregnant woman’s face in front of her children. Guess those cops dropped the ball on prevent that outcome huh?
To further the irony, I also found this story:
That’s where social media comes in. In a push to catch up with the times, The Agawam Police Department also recently launched a Facebook page to immediately inform residents of emergencies that affect them, as well as developments within the department like the citizen reporting system.
The system can be accessed at www.agawam.ma.us/coplogic.
I guess the Agawam Police have a citizen’s reporting system and the URL ends with “Cop Logic.” I’m seriously speechless.
Source Article from http://www.copblock.org/123500/1-5-million-dollar-lawsuit-filed-by-woman-accidentally-shot-in-the-face-by-agawam-police/
1.5 Million Dollar Lawsuit Filed By Woman Accidentally Shot in the Face by Agawam Police
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