Harry Tuttle
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Commander says he didn’t fire fatal shot
http://nsnlb.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041028/NEWS02/110280055/-1/news
By DENISE LAVOIE, The Associated Press
Published: Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004
BOSTON - The police commander in charge of crowd control the night an Emerson College student was killed during raucous Red Sox celebrations fired four rounds from a pepper-spray pellet gun, but did not fire the fatal round that struck a college student in the eye, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Deputy Superintendent Robert O’Toole fired the weapon in an attempt to rein in out-of-control fans who were climbing on the rafters of Fenway Park’s famed Green Monster and a sign at the Cask ‘n’ Flagon, a popular bar near the ballpark, said his attorney, Timothy Burke.
Burke said two rounds fired by O’Toole struck the restaurant sign, and a third struck the chest of a fan who had repeatedly ignored police orders to get down. A fourth round, fired later that night by O’Toole, struck a fan who had climbed the pilings to the Green Monster, and refused police orders to get down, he said. That fan was struck in the buttocks area, Burke said.
The rounds fired by O’Toole did not strike anyone in the head, including Victoria Snelgrove, 21, of East Bridgewater, who died hours after being hit in the eye socket with a pellet fired by police on Lansdowne Street.
“No one was aimed at or shot at in the face,†Burke told The Associated Press.
“The four rounds that were fired as I’ve described them are the extent of his firing of the weapon.â€
Burke also disputed reports that O’Toole was not trained in the use of the weapon, which uses compressed air to fire pellets filled with pepper-like spray.
He said O’Toole attended a five-day seminar in preparation for this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Boston. During the seminar, held in Ithaca, N.Y., O’Toole received training in the weapon and fired it at least 10 times, Burke said.
“He is fully qualified to use this type of weapon system,†Burke said.
Police are conducting an internal investigation into Snelgrove’s death, and Police Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole, who is not related to Robert O’Toole, also has appointed a former federal prosecutor to head an independent review. The investigation is expected to take months.
Police spokeswoman Beverly Ford would not comment on Burke’s claims or confirm whether O’Toole had received training in the use of the pepper gun.
“Everything is under investigation, and until the investigation is complete, we really can’t talk about the incident,†Ford said.
Robert O’Toole, 59, is commander of the police department’s Special Operations unit, a tactical unit sent in to control crowds during major events.
Police were stationed in Kenmore Square, near Fenway Park, in riot gear last Wednesday, the night that the Red Sox beat the rival New York Yankees to clinch the American League pennant, sending the team to its first World Series since 1986. Police estimated the crowd swelled to about 80,000 people.
Some in the crowd became unruly, throwing bottles at police and setting fires. One police officer was struck in the face with a bottle, breaking his nose. Burke said two cars that were on Lansdowne Street were swarmed and rocked back and forth by revelers.
http://nsnlb.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041028/NEWS02/110280055/-1/news
By DENISE LAVOIE, The Associated Press
Published: Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004
BOSTON - The police commander in charge of crowd control the night an Emerson College student was killed during raucous Red Sox celebrations fired four rounds from a pepper-spray pellet gun, but did not fire the fatal round that struck a college student in the eye, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Deputy Superintendent Robert O’Toole fired the weapon in an attempt to rein in out-of-control fans who were climbing on the rafters of Fenway Park’s famed Green Monster and a sign at the Cask ‘n’ Flagon, a popular bar near the ballpark, said his attorney, Timothy Burke.
Burke said two rounds fired by O’Toole struck the restaurant sign, and a third struck the chest of a fan who had repeatedly ignored police orders to get down. A fourth round, fired later that night by O’Toole, struck a fan who had climbed the pilings to the Green Monster, and refused police orders to get down, he said. That fan was struck in the buttocks area, Burke said.
The rounds fired by O’Toole did not strike anyone in the head, including Victoria Snelgrove, 21, of East Bridgewater, who died hours after being hit in the eye socket with a pellet fired by police on Lansdowne Street.
“No one was aimed at or shot at in the face,†Burke told The Associated Press.
“The four rounds that were fired as I’ve described them are the extent of his firing of the weapon.â€
Burke also disputed reports that O’Toole was not trained in the use of the weapon, which uses compressed air to fire pellets filled with pepper-like spray.
He said O’Toole attended a five-day seminar in preparation for this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Boston. During the seminar, held in Ithaca, N.Y., O’Toole received training in the weapon and fired it at least 10 times, Burke said.
“He is fully qualified to use this type of weapon system,†Burke said.
Police are conducting an internal investigation into Snelgrove’s death, and Police Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole, who is not related to Robert O’Toole, also has appointed a former federal prosecutor to head an independent review. The investigation is expected to take months.
Police spokeswoman Beverly Ford would not comment on Burke’s claims or confirm whether O’Toole had received training in the use of the pepper gun.
“Everything is under investigation, and until the investigation is complete, we really can’t talk about the incident,†Ford said.
Robert O’Toole, 59, is commander of the police department’s Special Operations unit, a tactical unit sent in to control crowds during major events.
Police were stationed in Kenmore Square, near Fenway Park, in riot gear last Wednesday, the night that the Red Sox beat the rival New York Yankees to clinch the American League pennant, sending the team to its first World Series since 1986. Police estimated the crowd swelled to about 80,000 people.
Some in the crowd became unruly, throwing bottles at police and setting fires. One police officer was struck in the face with a bottle, breaking his nose. Burke said two cars that were on Lansdowne Street were swarmed and rocked back and forth by revelers.
