Post by WaTcHeR on Dec 27, 2005 1:42:06 GMT -5
December 27, 2005 - Florida - Cheryl Ann Stillwell offered a discount to police officers to live in a nearby house she rented because, she said, there were illegal drugs in her island neighborhood.
But she was shot and killed Thursday morning by a Nassau County Sheriff's deputy in the process of executing a search warrant for drugs at her 2658 Midway Road home.
Stillwell, 41, a 1983 graduate of Fernandina Beach High School, died at Shands Jacksonville, where she was taken by emergency helicopter.
Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident at his request.
Seagraves said Stillwell was the only person inside the residence when the incident occurred.
According to a press release issued by the sheriff, "the subject brandished and fired a gun at officers. In response to the shots being fired (Palecek) returned fire at (the) subject."
Stillwell had been arrested in 2003, though not prosecuted, after she allegedly pointed a gun at a satellite TV installer. A neighbor described her Thursday as an extremely private person, bordering on "paranoid." (Story, 3A)
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Seagraves declined to comment on whether any illegal drugs were found inside Stillwell's home that morning. He also declined to say how many officers were on the scene at the time of the shooting; he said he did not know how many shots were fired, and he would not comment on where Stillwell was shot.
According to Seagraves, a confidential informant purchased Oxycontin, a prescription painkiller, from Stillwell at her home.
Seagraves said officers, including Palecek, entered the home by force after knocking on the door and announcing they had come to serve a search warrant.
"The officers encountered a female subject inside the house," Seagraves said, adding that she fired a handgun and Palecek returned fire.
Palecek has been placed on paid administrative leave until "this has been cleared up," Seagraves said. Palecek has been with the department for four years, Seagraves said, and in that time he has not been involved in any other shooting incidents and has not received any disciplinary action.
The search warrant was executed as part of an early morning drug bust planned by the sheriff's Drug Enforcement and Eradication Task Force.
Seagraves said three search warrants were executed in the area on the island east of A1A and south of Sadler Road. Two suspects - Steven Reece, 48, 2813 Amelia Road, and Anthony Washington, 42, 732 Old Amelia Road - were arrested. Seagraves would not comment on whether officers had served all the search warrants planned. He said the other two search warrants were served, and the arrests made, without incident.
Stillwell had been arrested previously, on Aug. 31, 2003, for aggravated assault. Assistant State Attorney "Doc" Burgess said the charge was not prosecuted because of conflicting evidence.
When arrested, Stillwell was living at 2646 Midway Road, her childhood home.
According to the police report, Stillwell was accused of pointing a 9mm handgun at a satellite TV installer after ordering him off her property. The installer had refused to take his shoes off before coming inside her home, the report stated. Stillwell claimed that he had pulled a gun on her.
That report identified her as a computer engineer with Honeywell in Jacksonville. Her current employment could not be confirmed Thursday. Seagraves said he didn't have any personal information about Stillwell.
Stillwell had advertised two rental homes in the News-Leader in October. In one of those ads, for a two-bedroom home on a half-acre lot, she offered a "discount for police officer" on the $1,000 a month rent.
She explained when purchasing the classified ad that there were drugs in the neighborhood and she would feel safer if a police officer were her tenant.
But she was shot and killed Thursday morning by a Nassau County Sheriff's deputy in the process of executing a search warrant for drugs at her 2658 Midway Road home.
Stillwell, 41, a 1983 graduate of Fernandina Beach High School, died at Shands Jacksonville, where she was taken by emergency helicopter.
Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident at his request.
Seagraves said Stillwell was the only person inside the residence when the incident occurred.
According to a press release issued by the sheriff, "the subject brandished and fired a gun at officers. In response to the shots being fired (Palecek) returned fire at (the) subject."
Stillwell had been arrested in 2003, though not prosecuted, after she allegedly pointed a gun at a satellite TV installer. A neighbor described her Thursday as an extremely private person, bordering on "paranoid." (Story, 3A)
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Seagraves declined to comment on whether any illegal drugs were found inside Stillwell's home that morning. He also declined to say how many officers were on the scene at the time of the shooting; he said he did not know how many shots were fired, and he would not comment on where Stillwell was shot.
According to Seagraves, a confidential informant purchased Oxycontin, a prescription painkiller, from Stillwell at her home.
Seagraves said officers, including Palecek, entered the home by force after knocking on the door and announcing they had come to serve a search warrant.
"The officers encountered a female subject inside the house," Seagraves said, adding that she fired a handgun and Palecek returned fire.
Palecek has been placed on paid administrative leave until "this has been cleared up," Seagraves said. Palecek has been with the department for four years, Seagraves said, and in that time he has not been involved in any other shooting incidents and has not received any disciplinary action.
The search warrant was executed as part of an early morning drug bust planned by the sheriff's Drug Enforcement and Eradication Task Force.
Seagraves said three search warrants were executed in the area on the island east of A1A and south of Sadler Road. Two suspects - Steven Reece, 48, 2813 Amelia Road, and Anthony Washington, 42, 732 Old Amelia Road - were arrested. Seagraves would not comment on whether officers had served all the search warrants planned. He said the other two search warrants were served, and the arrests made, without incident.
Stillwell had been arrested previously, on Aug. 31, 2003, for aggravated assault. Assistant State Attorney "Doc" Burgess said the charge was not prosecuted because of conflicting evidence.
When arrested, Stillwell was living at 2646 Midway Road, her childhood home.
According to the police report, Stillwell was accused of pointing a 9mm handgun at a satellite TV installer after ordering him off her property. The installer had refused to take his shoes off before coming inside her home, the report stated. Stillwell claimed that he had pulled a gun on her.
That report identified her as a computer engineer with Honeywell in Jacksonville. Her current employment could not be confirmed Thursday. Seagraves said he didn't have any personal information about Stillwell.
Stillwell had advertised two rental homes in the News-Leader in October. In one of those ads, for a two-bedroom home on a half-acre lot, she offered a "discount for police officer" on the $1,000 a month rent.
She explained when purchasing the classified ad that there were drugs in the neighborhood and she would feel safer if a police officer were her tenant.
