OIL CITY, Pa. — A vigil and demonstration march was held Monday night at city hall in Oil City to remember a woman shot and killed by police after allegedly attacking an officer with a knife last week.
Investigators said they had no choice but to shoot Marilyn Peterson, 68, at a home on Central Avenue in Oil City after she went after an Oil City officer with a knife. Authorities said she also threatened her life.
Monday’s march was intended to express to City Council and the Oil City Police Department the displeasure and fear shared by Peterson’s family and Oil City residents following the incident.
According to Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE, police were called to the home last week to check on Peterson, who reportedly was suffering from mental issues.
Channel 11’s Amy Marcinkiewicz reported that call to police was prompted by a fight between Peterson and her son, Raymond Peterson.
Raymond Peterson said that his mother did not have a weapon on her at any time during their fight.
“I had my fiancée call the cops to come down, and that's when they said she had a knife,” he said.
A neighbor said he watched as police went into the home and heard the shots.
“They talked to them for maybe a minute then they went inside. This all happened within four minutes. They went inside and ‘pop!’ she was dead,” said Rodney Ruth. “Cops are taught self-defense. If someone is coming at you with a knife, couldn’t you take the knife away? Can you not subdue her and take the knife? There were two cops.”
Marcinkiewicz reported that the officers involved did attempt to subdue Marilyn Peterson with a baton and mace, but were unsuccessful. She said the officers did not have Tasers on them.
State police have taken over the investigation.
Members of the Oil City community are calling for anyone within the Oil City Police Department found to have acted outside the scope of his/her authority to be held responsible, and for training to be implemented on how to deal with situations involving people with physical or mental disabilities.