A woman, identified as Mary Knowlton, was selected to participate in a “shoot or don’t shoot” training exercise at the Punta Gorda Police Academy. She was selected at random from a group of 35 citizens who were participating in a two hour Citizens Academy—a program created to teach local civics to civilians.
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Mary Knowlton, 73, was shot during a role-play scenario in which the Punta Gorda police officer was playing a “bad guy” and fired several times at the woman who was supposed to be playing the victim, according to Sue Paquin, a photographer who was covering the event for the Sun and witnessed the incident.
Knowlton was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Mrs. Knowlton was originally from Austin, Minnesota and was retired in Punta Gorda. She had been a librarian in Scott County, Minnesota.
Carolyn Hartwigsen, of Edina, Minnesota, told The Associated Press she was a longtime friend of Knowlton. She said Knowlton had a love of books and tried to instill that in young readers.
“So much is on the internet now. But, books are so important to have in children’s hands. That was important to her,” Hartwigsen said this morning.
Hartwigsen said Mary and her husband of more than 50 years would come back to Minnesota periodically to visit. “She was the salt of the earth, a beautiful soul and the kindest women you would know."
You can watch the press conference here.