Judge Devin George is expected to rule on a defense motion to dismiss a misdemeanor charge of culpable negligence against Punta Gorda’s suspended police chief, Tom Lewis this week. The charge grows out of last August’s death of 73-year-old Mary Knowlton as she participated in a shoot/don’t shoot demonstration at police headquarters.
Chief Tom Lewis’s defense attorney Stephen Romine argued on Friday that the prosecution was unfairly blaming the chief for his officers’ failure to perform as they’d been trained. Romine insisted Lewis had no way of knowing Officer Lee Coel would use unauthorized ammunition in the demonstration, and that contrary to regulations, he would point his .38- caliber revolver in Mary Knowlton’s direction. Coel is charged with felony manslaughter and is awaiting trial.
Further, the defense attorney said there was no way Lewis could have expected Lt. Katie Heck, his public affairs officer at the time, would give Coel lethal wadcutter target ammunition and tell him they were blanks. Romine said he believes Lewis is being unfairly charged just because he was the chief. Heck has since resigned from the department.
In response, Assistant State Attorney John Dommerich described the event as “the chief of police’s YouTube entertainment presentation.” And he assailed Lewis for having no written policies or protocols at all for this scenario—including one that would have required his officers to make sure Officer Coel’s revolver really was loaded with blanks.
If Judge George does not dismiss the single charge of culpable negligence, jury selection will begin on June 23, 2017 with the trial expected to start on June 26. Lewis remains on paid administrative leave.