Police officers who shot, killed Henrico woman won't face charges

Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor says no charges will be filed against Henrico Police officers who were involved in the Sept. 17 shooting death of 57-year-old Gay Plack in her Henrico home, where officers were summoned for a welfare check.

Officers entered Plack's home to check on her, announced their presence approximately 11 times and called for Plack by name approximately 17 times, according to Taylor's findings. Plack did not respond. Officers breached her bedroom door and then noticed that the bathroom door inside the bedroom was shut. One officer attempted to open it. In response, Plack swung an axe at the officer, emerged from the bathroom and then swung it three more times in the direction of both officers as she approached them. Both officers shot and killed her as she did.

Taylor referred the case to to other Virginia Commonwealth's Attorneys for independent review – Anton Bell of Hampton and Eric Olsen of Stafford County – and both agreed with the assessment of Taylor's office that no charged should be filed against the officers.

Taylor concluded that the officers' actions to open the bathroom door were justified.

"Without any response at all [when they called her name and announced their presence], the officers were left with the decision to breach the door to investigate whether Plack, or anyone else, was inside the room in need of immediate medical assistance," Taylor wrote.

"[T]he officers were reasonable in concluding that, first, the unforced entry into the residence, and, then later, the forced entry into the bedroom, were both necessary. At each step, the officers were acting not to investigate crime, but to check on the safety and well-being of Plack. The officers were left with the difficult choice of leaving and doing nothing, risking that Plack had harmed or injured herself and was deceased, or worse yet, that she was alive but needed emergency care. Their decision to enter the residence and force entry into the bedroom were reasonable and lawful.

"Having the benefit of body-worn camera footage, as well as a forensics investigation, it is clear that Officer [name redacted] was left with no alternative but to use deadly force to repel the sudden and quick attach of Plack wielding , charging and striking at the officer with a deadly weapon."