County Coroner Inquest Jury Rules Officer-Involved Shooting A Suicide

A Contra Costa County coroner’s inquest jury ruled Tuesday that an officer-involved shooting last May in Concord was a suicide, according to sheriff’s officials.

On May 15, Valeri Lee Hawkins, 57, pointed a gun at officers before an officer shot and killed her, police said.

Around 5:30 p.m. that day, Concord police were responding to a report of a suicidal woman who was armed with a handgun in the 2700 block of Pacheco Street, police said.

[Previous: Woman, 57, Armed with Handgun Was Shot, Killed by Concord Police Thursday Evening.]

When officers arrived on scene, Hawkins was at the front of the residence and reportedly refused officers’ commands to put the gun down. Instead, she pointed the gun at police and one of the officers fired a single shot, striking Hawkins in the chest, according to sheriff’s officials.

Police tried to perform CPR on Hawkins, but she was later pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Sheriff’s officials said Hawkins had a history of mental health problems. Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston convenes coroner’s inquests whenever there is an officer-involved shooting.

Jurors must decide whether the death should be ruled an accident, suicide, at the hands of another person other than by accident, or a result of natural causes.

--Bay City News

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