Missouri Police Officer Runs Over And Kills 4-Year-Old Girl, Charged With Manslaughter

A Missouri-based cop was charged with involuntary manslaughter on Monday after running over a 4-year-old girl. It took a year for the Columbia Police Department to indict five-year police veteran Andria Heese, who had hit 4-year-old Gabriella Curry while she was walking outside a Missouri school last year.

On Jan. 4, 2018, 28-year-old Andria Heese struck Curry with a patrol SUV as she drove onto the sidewalk to monitor school buses outside Battle High School. After realizing that she had hit a little girl, Heese immediately gave Curry CPR and called for help. However, Curry was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. Following the incident, Heese was put on administrative leave.

According to Camden County prosecutor Heather Miller, it took them nearly a year to indict the on-duty officer because they wanted to make sure “all the ducks were in a row” before officially filing a case against Heese. He also said the delay had been due to the complexity of the investigation.

“We’ve been working with the Highway Patrol,” said Miller. “We’ve been in contact with the family, working with them and making sure that all the ducks were in a row before we were comfortable filing the case,” he added.

Miller also revealed that the indictment came after the city of Columbia agreed to pay Curry’s parents $3.4 million to settle a lawsuit seeking damages for claims of wrongful death. The Columbia Police also sued the school district, which agreed to a $125,000 settlement.

If convicted, Heese will face between three and 10 years imprisonment. She can also avoid jail and be sentenced to probation.

In a statement, Curry’s mother Cheyenne said the criminal case against Heese makes it even more difficult for them to deal with her daughter’s first death anniversary this weekend. Cheyenne was a bus driver for the Columbia school district and had taken Curry along with her on her afternoon route on the day her daughter was killed.

“I want justice for Gabbie because she was only four years old, and she took a whole life away from me,” she said.

She also said she’s not ready to forgive Heese for killing her daughter.