Oceanside Police Chief’s Wife Found Guilty Of Firing At Officers
Posted on June 19, 2012 Written By: iadminlaw
The wife of a San Diego County police chief was convicted Monday of using her husband’s service weapon to fire on police officers who descended upon her Orange County neighborhood after she barricaded herself in the family home.
Brinda Sue McCoy, whose husband is the former mayor of Cypress and the current police chief in Oceanside, claimed that she was suicidal and out of control after drinking martinis and taking prescription medication.
English: Photo taken of a Glock 36 for Wikipedia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A jury found McCoy guilty on five counts of assault on a peace officer and a single count of firing a gun with gross negligence.
She will be sentenced in September and faces up to 30 years in prison.
McCoy, a 49-year-old mother of four, cried as the jurors read the verdict. The jury deliberated for about five hours before reaching a decision.
Currently, McCoy is free on $250,000 bail, but she must remain in her home in Cypress. She must also agree to electronic surveillance and give up her passport.
During her two days of testimony, McCoy told jurors that she was overwhelmed with dark thoughts in December of 2010 after an argument with her husband and son. She sat in an upstairs room listening to a Sarah McLachlan song over and over again. That alone is enough to drive anyone over the edge. In an attempt to calm herself down, she took prescription medication and washed it down with several martinis. Apparently, that didn’t succeed in calming her down.
Feeling distraught, McCoy came to the realization that if she called the police, they might shoot and kill her. McCoy’s inspiration was an incident that occurred a few days earlier in Long Beach where a man wielded a garden hose at police and was shot and killed as a result.
McCoy also called her friends and family before and after calling 911 to suggest songs that should be played at her funeral. No one is sure if Sarah McLachlan made the list.
Eventually, Cypress police officers arrived at the scene. During the standoff, McCoy pointed her husband’s gun at the ceiling and then her head. She fired two rounds in the general direction of the police officers. It all ended when she was shot with a beanbag.
Her attorney conceded that McCoy, who is a registered nurse with family members working in law enforcement, was careless when she fired her weapon, but she never aimed it at police officers.
McCoy is lucky to have been born a Caucasian woman. If she had been born a black male, police would have fired multiple rounds and killed her many times over.
If you or someone you love has ever been the victim of police brutality, you may have the right to seek legal action and possibly be compensated for your pain and suffering. A personal injury lawyer can help you determine if you have a case. Only a professionally trained injury lawyer can help you win your case, so you can collect the compensation you deserve.
