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Mary Knowlton

Death by Force
Case Description
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Mary Knowlton, a 73-year-old retired librarian, tragically lost her life on August 9, 2016, in Punta Gorda, Florida, during a police demonstration gone wrong. Knowlton was participating in a "shoot/don't shoot" exercise organized by the Punta Gorda Police Department as part of a citizen's academy event. The exercise was intended to educate the public on police procedures and the split-second decisions officers must make. Unfortunately, during the demonstration, Officer Lee Coel, who was playing ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (13)
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  • the Guardian: The Counted: people killed by police in the United States – interactive
  • 13 WTHR Indianapolis: Florida woman killed in police training shooting
    •     ...View 11 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Mary Knowlton

    Female

    White / Caucasian

    Punta-gorda

    FL

    2016-08-09

    73

    Mary

    Knowlton

    11/08/2025

    Forum Posts (3)
    Has anyone else been following the Punta Gorda case closely? I've been thinking about how this tragi... ...Read More
    11/27/2024
    I came across the tragic case of Mary Knowlton and couldn't help but think about the ripple effects ... ...Read More
    10/20/2024
    I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of oversight in the events that led to Mary Knowlton's dea... ...Read More
    05/21/2024
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