OR - Officer Christopher Kilcullen, 43, shot to death, Eugene, 22 April 2011

[Missizzy]

It almost sounds as if Kidd had some sort of plan to run down the officer from the beginning.

http://registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/26177876-57/police-kilcullen-eugene-natt-buick.html.csp

Witness details pursuit

"Detectives investigating Friday’s fatal shooting of Eugene police officer Chris Kilcullen say a witness has come forward to share crucial details that appear to explain why Kilcullen began pursuing the alleged shooter’s car along the Highway 126 Expressway in Springfield just minutes before he was gunned down. The witness who spoke with police said she saw an eastbound vehicle believed to be Cheryl Kidd’s 1998 Buick Skylark “tailgating” Kilcullen’s police motorcycle on the highway near the Pioneer Parkway exit..."

and

"....the Buick try to pass the motorcycle on the right, but the car appeared to veer back into the left lane to avoid striking a vehicle in the right lane. When the Buick suddenly moved back into the left lane...."

and

"...The witness told investigators that the officer activated his emergency lights and attempted to stop the Buick after seeing the car accelerate suddenly near the Mohawk Boulevard exit..."

and

"....The Buick stopped moments later at the highway’s intersection with 52nd Street, where other vehicles also had stopped for a red light, Smith said. Kilcullen rode up next to the driver’s side of the Buick, put down the kickstand on his motorcycle and was fatally shot. The bullet entered the right side of his torso just above the side panel of his protective vest. He died at a hospital a short time later...."


more at link

 

[flourish]

Today there is a processional memorial for this fallen officer. Trees, homes, mailboxes, and people throughout the towns of Eugene and Springfield are displaying blue ribbons and balloons in honor of Officer Kilcullen. Driving to work this morning, I saw a motorcycle police officer from Hillsboro (up near Portland) who looked like he'd ridden all that way this morning in the wet and chilly Oregon rain we're having today. Needless to say, I cried all the way to work

Some of my friends and co-workers knew this officer personally and professionally, and are understandably devastated.

At the school where I teach, the teachers, office workers, and bus drivers are wearing blue ribbons. Several of the children have asked about the ribbons, of course, offering teachers a sad teachable moment about guns, safety, and respecting and honoring police officers. As some of the children have seen the story on the news, they nodded solemnly. 3, 4, and 5-year-old children never cease to amaze me.

The sadness, sorrow, and grief is palpable here...earlier I could hear the sirens accompanying the procession, and see the helicopters monitoring the proceedings. The whole town(s) have a general solemn aura today.

For more information on this amazing officer who was known to be one of the kindest on the force, as well as for traffic and memorial information, please visit this site:

http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/ser...trol=SetCommunity&CommunityID=273&PageID=4643

http://www.ottawapolice.ca/Libraries/Bulletin_Board/blue_ribbon.sflb.ashx

 

[Missizzy]

I found a live feed of the audio/video of the service:

http://www.kmtr.com/content/stream/kilcullen/default.aspx

Officer Kilcullen must have been a very wonderful man. The stories about his love for his wife and little girls and the stories told about his shining personality, creativity and bravery on the job are humbling. What a character.

It's very hard to listen to this alone. Many of my dear friends are police officers and my son is studying criminology in hopes of getting into the academy. Police officers and detectives stood close by our sides through our family's darkest hours. They never turned away from us when we needed them.

The murder of this honorable man hurts terribly.

May Officer Kilcullen fly high and look down with love and protection on his family--those at home and in blue.

 

[Missizzy]

So, why in heck was this woman permitted to legally obtain a gun?????

http://registerguard.com/web/updates/26198395-55/kidd-mallon-wrote-lawyer-defense.html.csp

Kilcullen shooter suffers from paranoid delusions, lawyer says

"The suspect in the April 22 fatal shooting of Eugene Police Officer Chris Kilcullen falsely believes he shot at her car, shattering its driver’s side window...."

and

"...Cheryl Dawn Kidd, 56, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1989 and suffers from “extreme paranoid delusions", including the belief that at least one other police officer previously shot at her Buick Skylark, leaving bullet holes in the vehicle...."

more to be in tomorrow's Register Guard

I seem to remember her family saying that she was diagnosed at age 19. That would be in 1973. I wonder if the 1989 date has something to do with applying for disability or was connected with a hospitalization.

My personal belief is that this woman had no business owning a gun or driving, given how ill she is.

 

[Kimster]

That's what everyone I know is questioning!

 

[Missizzy]

One of the hardest things I've done is to prevent many of our children from driving. Of the youngest nine, only one has a license and it was a long time coming. It's tremendously challenging for my husband to transport all these adults to therapy, work, job applications, doctor appts., etc. as most can't understand or navigate the bus system either. And Ashland, sadly, does not have the greatest transit system. It doesn't run in the evenings or on weekends.

However, to have allowed young adults with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, extremely slow reflexes and poor judgement to drive would be insane. We couldn't do it. Most have flags at the DMV on their IDs from doctors who have written to say that these young adults cannot drive. But that took blood to gather those letters. I've been shocked that many people seem to think that driving is a right. It's not. It's a privilege. I just could not have carried the burden of one of my marginally capable children hurting someone while driving. We've learned to be creative and they have too. They walk a LOT. They have very full lives and keep busy but they do not drive and put others at risk.

And I have to consider myself. When I became suddenly ill in 2004, I had a brand new BMW. I was so excited about that car. But the day I had my sudden onset of my disease, I made the decision to never drive again. It just would not be fair to other drivers. How could I bear the pain of hurting someone due to my selfishness? And if I wouldn't have made that wise decision, I'm fairly certain it would have been made for me.

I'm not blaming this woman's family as she is 56 years old and most likely figured out ways to get around the rules. But, IMO, we've just got to develop oversight. We have to. Kidd's doctor must have known about the extent of her disability. He/she had a responsibility to prevent a legal license, IMO. And what sorts of paperwork did she fill out to get the gun? Is it entirely information garnered through self reporting?

 

[Kat]

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/stor...r-shooting-deemed/ZmE3eCl3YkShVHKK0ANP8A.cspx

Reported by: Chris McKee

Woman charged in EPD Officer shooting deemed unfit to stand trial


Article and video at link above