Culpeper police officer fired, awaits murder charges

WASHINGTON – The Culpeper Police Department fired an officer who is facing charges in the fatal shooting of a 54-year-old Culpeper woman.

Daniel Harmon-Wright was fired Thursday after an internal investigation into the February shooting of Patricia Cook.

Harmon-Wright, who has been with the Culpeper Police Department for five years and is a former Marine, is charged with Cook’s murder.

Cook’s husband, Gary, has filed a multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit.

Cook was sitting in her Jeep Wrangler in the parking lot of a Catholic church on Feb. 9 when someone called police to report a suspicious vehicle.

The wrongful death lawsuit claims Harmon-Wright responded and spoke to Cook in an aggressive manner. Cook tried to roll up her window and drive away.

The officer had one hand in the door and a gun in the other hand, which he used to fire at her multiple times, the lawsuit says. Cook crashed into a utility pole a block away.

Harmon-Wright pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, one count of malicious shooting into a vehicle, one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle resulting in death and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

He turned himself in on May 29 after an indictment was issued naming him as a suspect.

Harmon-Wright has been in custody at Fauquier County Adult Detention Center ever since. His bail is set at $100,000.

Cook’s husband is seeking $5 million in damages. Harmon-Wright’s next appearance in Culpeper’s Circuit Court will be 10 a.m., July 24.

Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up