Woman killed by police was shot twice in head, Navarre says

Hicks

NOT BLADE PHOTO

The woman shot to death Monday night by Toledo police was killed with two shots to the head, Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

The chief said that two female officers responded to a call that a woman was brandishing a knife and that the fatal shooting occurred before their backup arrived.

He said the shooting was in very close proximity.

The chief identified the officer who did the shooting as Diane Chandler, 33, who has been on the force since 2006. The second officer was Rebecca Kenney, 34, who has been on the force since 2003.

911 call from care-giver of woman shot and killed by police" rel="storyimage1" title="Woman-killed-by-police-was-shot-twice-in-head-Navarre-says-2.jpg"/>
Toledo police chief Mike Navarre demonstrates how Linda Hicks allegedly approached TPD officers with a pair of scissors before she was shot to death by officer Diane Chandler during a news conference. <br> <img src=http://www.toledoblade.com/graphics/icons/audio.gif> <font color=red><b>LISTEN</b></font>: <a href=" /assets/mpg/TO699611215.MP3"blank_"><b> 911 call from care-giver of woman shot and killed by police</b></a>

From previous editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com

A 62-year-old woman was shot and killed by a Toledo police officer in a central city home Monday night after her caregiver reported that she was brandishing a knife, authorities said.

Tanya Murphy, who told police that she cares for two people in her home at 1321 Fernwood Ave., reported at about 8 p.m. that the woman had a knife. Ms. Murphy told police that the woman had a history of depression and schizophrenia and was not taking her medication, Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre said.

Ms. Murphy identified the woman as Linda Hicks, who has lived in her home, known as Marria's Adult Family Home, since 2006. Ms. Murphy and the other resident who lives there felt threatened by Ms. Hicks' behavior, Ms. Murphy said.

“Linda had scissors in her hand. She came at me," Ms. Murphy said. “She was babbling something.”

Police found the woman on her bed in her room upstairs, holding her hands under her pillow. She first refused officers' orders to show her hands.

One of the officers attempted to subdue her with a Taser, but the device malfunctioned, the chief said. The officer then approached her — still in the bed — and used the handheld function on the Taser device.

The officer shot the woman as she lunged at police with a pair of scissors raised over her head, Chief Navarre said. She was shot more than once — a total of four shots were fired — and she was pronounced dead in the house last night. The chief said he could not say where the shots hit her.

The officer responsible will be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the department's firearms review board.

The incident is the fifth this year in which Toledo police have shot and killed a suspect.

Chief Navarre acknowledged that number is “very high.” “It's unusual to have more than one or two a year,” Chief Navarre said.

On May 24, Richard Dale Carr II, 32, shot and wounded three of his neighbors under the delusion that they had killed his parents, who were out of town at the time.

Mr. Carr, who reportedly had been treated for mental illness, was shot and killed by Toledo police responding to the scene.

Devon Tyrone Woods, 21, was wanted in Michigan on murder charges in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend when he exchanged gunfire with police in West Toledo on Aug. 9. Officers fired 34 rounds at Woods before he was taken to Toledo Hospital and pronounced dead.

On Oct. 29, Toledo police shot and killed Pyon Yong Su Simmons, 29, who was bipolar, after he stabbed his mother inside their North Toledo home.

As she escaped, officers arriving on scene were confronted by Simmons, who assaulted officers with metal pipes. Tasers were deployed unsuccessfully and Simmons was shot several times.

Alvin Tate, 28, was shot three times by police outside Big Shots tavern at 931 West Central Ave. after he had first fired multiple rounds on Nov. 7. He died days later.

Contact Bridget Tharp at:btharp@theblade.comor 419-724-6086.