WOODLAND-
Woodland Police released more information Tuesday regarding the police shooting of 53 year-old Jeffrey Towe.
Towe was shot and killed Monday morning by Officer Darryl Moore, a 13-year veteran of the department. Woodland Police said Moore is a field training officer, fire arms instructor and has taken crisis intervention courses that help with dealing with those suffering from mental illness.
Woodland Police said Officer Moore had no choice but to shoot, when Towe charged at officers while wielding a 7-inch military style knife. Officers said they tried negotiating with him for 20 minute prior to the shooting, but he was not cooperative.
Witnesses said Towe was shot three times in the chest, right in front of his apartment at 411 Elliot Street in Woodland. Medical personnel tried to resusitate him. However, Towe died before reaching the hospital.
However, Towe’s older sister, Christine Hazlip said the lethal shooting was unnecessary. Her brother, an Army Veteran had been suffering from Schizophrenia since coming back from Germany in 1986. He had moved to Woodland to be closer to Hazlip, so she could help take care of him. His medication had been working, until recently switching his prescription. She said Monday morning was an abnormal episode.
“Saturday night, when I took him to the fair here in Woodland, I noticed he was off,” Hazlip said. “He was off a little bit, So I brought him home, and I told him goodbye. And that was the last time I saw him. ”
FOX40 was with Hazlip as she revisited her brother’s apartment for the first time after his death. She will need to clean his belongings in the near future.
“I am going to cry every time I pick up something,” Hazlip said.
Despite her tragic loss, she hopes something good comes out of this.
“I just want someone to help these mentally ill people and I want officers to think twice before they pull out a gun and shoot him.”
Woodland Police said Towe does not have a criminal history in Woodland. But he does have a violent criminal past in Sacramento County.
As standard procedure, Officer Moore has been placed on paid administrative leave.
