Columbia police officer considered “low risk” in sentencing memo
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys said they are not concerned that a Columbia police officer is any risk as she awaits sentencing.
A joint memo filed by special prosecutor Kevin Hillman said that Andria Heese is "a very low risk to reoffend or engage in any criminal behavior." The memo notes that Heese has no previous criminal convictions or traffic tickets and "expressed remorse" for the incident that killed 4-year-old Gabriella Curry.
Heese hit Curry with her police patrol cruiser outside Battle High School on Jan. 4, 2019. A Missouri State Highway Patrol investigator said that Heese should have slowed down as she turned onto the sidewalk during school dismissal. A special prosecutor charged Heese with involuntary manslaughter. Heese and her attorney claimed she never saw Curry until she had hit her.
Heese pleaded guilty to a class A misdemeanor of carless and imprudent driving on June 1. The crime carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail. The sentencing memo filed June 30 does not come with a recommended sentence for Heese, but notes that her "recidivism level" is low.
A defense statement attached to the memo laid out Heese's version of events. The statement said Heese went to Battle High School to observe dismissal after recent violence both in the area and in school. Heese tried to park the Chevy Tahoe on the sidewalk by using a ramp emergency vehicles use to get near the athletics field at the high school. Curry, the statement said, then ran from around the busses into the path of the oncoming car.
"Ms. Heese had never noticed any small children in the area and had only noticed high school-aged students there before," the statement said. "Even though Ms. Heese was paying complete attention and was not distracted by anything, Ms. Heese did not see [Gabriella]."
The statement said Curry was blocked from Heese's view by a "blind spot" created between the driver's side mirror and "A pillar" of the car. The short statures of both the 4-year-old and Heese herself helped create that blind spot, the statement said, along with Curry's own rate of travel.
"Ms. Heese now knows that, had she come to a complete stop before driving up the ramp, [Gabriella] might still be alive today," the statement said. "Ms. Heese is deeply sorry. Ms. Heese will forever regret that day and she will forever grieve for [Gabriella] and the entire Curry family."
Heese's sentencing hearing is set for July 8.
