Woman dies after Policeman runs her over in public park -- He was 'trying to run after somebody with a beer'

By: Jenell Walton
WCPO
Jul. 27, 2010

OVER-THE-RHINE, Ohio - Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher says a woman has died after she was run over by a cruiser driven by a Cincinnati police officer in Over-the-Rhine on Tuesday.

Streicher says the officer was patrolling Washington Park when he made a turn off of a walking path and accidentally struck the woman.

Family members identify the victim as 48-year-old Joann Burton.

Witnesses tell 9 News Burton was lying on the ground in blankets when she was run over by the cruiser around 11:45 a.m.

"I was standing on the gazebo over here at Washington Park and the officer, I was standing up there dancing, and the officer was staring at me while I was dancing and then he all of a sudden goes through the grass and runs the lady over. He ran the lady over. The backpack is still up under the tire," Deborah Gross said.

John Ridley, who says he was in the park when the incident happened, tells 9 News the officer looked like he was going to approach a man who had an open container.

"She was laying up in the park. The police from what I understand was trying to run after somebody with a beer. He hit her. He ran over her up in the grass. Went up in the grass and run over her," Ridley said.

Chief Streicher says the officer was doing a routine check of the park and for some reason made a turn onto the grassy area and felt a bump.

"An officer was patrolling through the park and was on a service road. For whatever reason, turned east towards the park in the grassy area. You can see there are blankets there. At some point he felt a bump and stopped his vehicle. As he got out of his vehicle he said a lady screamed and sat up there and said you ran over my legs," Streicher said.

Burton then sat up and was talking to the officer, according to Streicher. Emergency crews were called and transported her to University Hospital where she later died.