The Associated Press
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - A city police officer who was shot and paralyzed during a standoff two years ago has died of complications from her injuries.
Mary Beall, 43, died Sunday at Miami Valley Hospital.
Beall was paralyzed below the waist after Raham Twitty stuck a gun against her neck and fired one shot during a confrontation May 15, 2000, on a street on the city’s west side.
Beall and her partner had responded to reports that Twitty had fired a gun once at his girlfriend. Beall tried to negotiate with Twitty and had put her gun down when Twitty fired.
Beall recovered from her injuries sufficiently to work through a regimen of physical therapy and testify against Twitty in February 2001.
Twitty was sentenced to 76 years in prison after being convicted of felonious assault and other charges.
Dayton police Sgt. Gary White said Sunday he is awaiting a ruling from the coroner’s office before deciding whether Twitty can now be charged with a homicide.
Beall did not return to work at the police department after the shooting and had remained in a wheelchair.
The community embraced Beall, her husband, city policeman John Beall; and the couple’s three young children.
Donations enabled the couple to build a 4,100-square-foot home that included wheelchair ramps and other features to give the wounded officer maximum mobility and independence.