Former sergeant not guilty in shooting of officer - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Former sergeant not guilty in shooting of officer

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TOLEDO, Ohio -

Former Toledo sergeant Gloria Burks has been found not guilty by reason of insanity to charges of shooting a fellow police officer.

Burks had been facing a charge of felonious assault. Monday she was found not guilty after two clinical psychologists testified that she was in an altered state of consciousness at the time of the shooting.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Myron Duhart ruled that Burks was unaware of the wrongfulness of her actions because she was having a seizure.

Burks stood accused of shooting fellow officer Sergeant Bechtel in the arm inside Toledo police's Park District station in September of 2010. 

During the trial, Sgt. Bechtel testified that Burks was nonresponsive during the incident and appeared to be dazed.

An assistant prosecutor in the case said in his closing arguments that evidence showed Burks continued to ignore her doctor's concerns after her diagnosis that her job duties as a police officer put herself and others at risk.

Burks will return to court a week from Wednesday to determine whether she should be hospitalized.

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