Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Cody Bennett
Age : 29
Gender : Male
Race : White
Date : 07/24/2022
Location : Lincoln + Thomas Street
City : Monogahela
County : Washington
State : Pennsylvania
Agency : Monogahela PD
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during “Shots fired” call
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 07/24/2022, Monongahela Police Department officers responded to the 1000 block of Lincoln Street after multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire and an attempted homicide. According to the Pennsylvania State Police investigation, Cody Bennett had been attending a child's birthday party on nearby Thomas Street. Witnesses told investigators Bennett, who appeared intoxicated, was asked to leave after making several women and teenage girls uncomfortable. Bennett went to his nearby home, retrieved a handgun, returned to the residence, fired shots into the air, and then fired two rounds through the rear door of the occupied home. The bullets narrowly missed people inside, including children. Bennett then walked away before officers arrived.
A Monongahela police officer located Bennett on Lincoln Street a short time later. According to investigators, Bennett fired at least one shot that struck the officer's patrol vehicle. The officer drove out of the line of fire, turned around, and resumed searching for Bennett. Officers then encountered Bennett near Lincoln and Thomas Streets and repeatedly ordered him to drop his handgun. District Attorney Jason Walsh later stated that Bennett ignored those commands and instead pointed the firearm toward an elderly woman who was outside nearby. The officer fired a single shot, striking Bennett. He was transported to Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:13 p.m.
The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation. On 10/07/2022, Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh announced that the shooting was a justifiable homicide, concluding that the officer reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to stop an immediate threat to both the officer and others. The officer's identity was not released publicly and remains undisclosed. Bennett's blood alcohol concentration was reported to be 0.218. Bennett's family criticized the decision, saying they were not notified before the public announcement and arguing that the situation could have been resolved without deadly force. No criminal charges were filed against the officer, and he returned to duty. I found no publicly reported civil lawsuit arising from the shooting.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/man-dies-after-being-shot-by-police-in-monongahela/
