Cyra
10-31-2004, 12:54
www.news8austin.com
Austin police officer struck and killed by patrol car
Updated: 10/31/2004 11:43:56 AM
By: Jitin Hingorani
Austin police officer Amy Donovan was killed Saturday night when she was pinned between a police car and a power pole.
Donovan and her partner Adrian Valdovino, both of whom had been on the police force for four months, were patrolling an East Austin neighborhood when they saw a person engaged in "suspicious activity".
Donovan exited the car to pursue the suspect, and Valdovino reversed the patrol car to try to block the suspect. That's when Valdovino struck Donovan.
Neighbors said they saw and heard it all.
"I watched her die, man. He backed into her. He had to be doing 60 miles an hour man," Robert Funchess said.
Austin police officials said Valdovino has been placed on administrative leave while the department investigates the situation.
"Amy was described not only as a wife and mother of four children, but as a determined police officer who took to heart the responsibility that came with being commissioned as a police officer in the city of Austin," police Chief Stan Knee said.
Donovan was the 19th officer overall and the first female Austin police officer to loose her life in the line of duty.
Austin police officer struck and killed by patrol car
Updated: 10/31/2004 11:43:56 AM
By: Jitin Hingorani
Austin police officer Amy Donovan was killed Saturday night when she was pinned between a police car and a power pole.
Donovan and her partner Adrian Valdovino, both of whom had been on the police force for four months, were patrolling an East Austin neighborhood when they saw a person engaged in "suspicious activity".
Donovan exited the car to pursue the suspect, and Valdovino reversed the patrol car to try to block the suspect. That's when Valdovino struck Donovan.
Neighbors said they saw and heard it all.
"I watched her die, man. He backed into her. He had to be doing 60 miles an hour man," Robert Funchess said.
Austin police officials said Valdovino has been placed on administrative leave while the department investigates the situation.
"Amy was described not only as a wife and mother of four children, but as a determined police officer who took to heart the responsibility that came with being commissioned as a police officer in the city of Austin," police Chief Stan Knee said.
Donovan was the 19th officer overall and the first female Austin police officer to loose her life in the line of duty.