City settles with family of slain college student

[ridgerunner]

By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press Writer | May 2, 2005

BOSTON -- The city paid a $5.1 million settlement on Monday to the parents of a college student killed by police trying to subdue rioters after the Boston Red Sox won the American League pennant last fall.

Victoria Snelgrove, a 21-year-old Emerson College senior from East Bridgewater, died hours after she was hit in the eye socket with a pepper-spray pellet fired by a police officer outside Fenway Park on Oct. 21 after Boston eliminated the New York Yankees.

"Of course, no amount of money can compensate the Snelgroves for the untimely loss of their daughter," said Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole. "Our prayers continue to be with them.

"I am hopeful the settlement recognizes the tremendous loss to them and represents our acceptance in the role the police played in that tragedy," she said.

more:http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/05/02/city_settles_with_family_of_slain_college_student/

[lenidog]

1. She was hit in the eye by a pellet and died!?

That is just out right bizarre. I could see her losing an eye but to die from it just doesn't seem possible.

[realisticphish]

2. "eye socket"

implies that it went deep... i dunno :shrug:

[lenidog]

5. It must have not exploded and acted like a bullet.

[Lerkfish]

3. you don't remember this?

I do. the trauma was horrific.
it wasn't a "pellet" it was a cannister of pepper spray, from a cannon. Meant to toss the package at far range, only she was at close range.

[lenidog]

6. Basically from what I just read from two different reports is that it was

was basically a pellet of pepper spray fired from a paint ball gun. So I am envisualing something on the size of a jawbreaker that is supposed to break apart on contact with the human body and spray the pepper spray. It wasn't a canister or grenade that one would fire from a grenade launcher or tear gas gun.

[ridgerunner]

4. Here's a good link

for those who aren't familiar with the story

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2004/10/22/postgame_police_projectile_kills_an_emerson_student/