Five present or former Punta Gorda police officers took the stand Tuesday at the trial of suspended police chief Tom Lewis. He’s charged with culpable negligence in the shooting death of 73-year-old Mary Knowlton during a shoot/don’t shoot scenario during a Citizens Academy at police headquarters last August.
While the examination and cross examination of each of the officers was intense, the most poignant was the questioning of former Punta Gorda Police Lieutenant Katie Heck, who resigned from the force a month ago after an 11-year career. She now works at the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
During its investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) determined it was Heck who’d supplied the lethal ammunition Lee Coel used the night he shot and killed Mary Knowlton. Heck had given three boxes of what she thought were blanks to Coel and told him they were old, he should check them out.
In the courtroom Tuesday afternoon, defense attorney Stephen Romine made sure the jury, the spectators, and Heck herself, knew full well she’d provided the lethal ammunition.
“There’s no question in your mind as you sit here today that the wadcutters found in his vehicle and he used to fire at this event came from you,” said Romine.
After a pause, Heck responded, “Correct.”
Did she ever file paperwork with the police department saying she’d provided Coel with that ammunition?
“No”, said Heck.
“You never did bring it up that night?” Romine asked, referring to the August 9th night of the shooting.
“Right”, Heck responded. Adding at that moment, she hadn’t made the connection.
“You didn’t bring it up before you had the Chief Lewis press conference, correct?” asked Romine.
“Right”, Heck responded again.
The press conference the attorney referred to was one two days after the shooting, where Punta Gorda Police Chief Tom Lewis went before news cameras and said he accepted full responsibility for what had happened. The statement he read said, “As your chief of police, I accept full responsibility for the actions of my department, my officers. The bottom line is, I am 100% accountable.”
In testimony late Tuesday, Katie Heck acknowledged that, with some help, she wrote that statement.
The trial continues at the Charlotte County Justice Center today.
