State attorney to review shooting of Punta Gorda librarian

Published: Updated:
Mary Knowlton

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — The case of a retired librarian killed when she was shot during a citizen’s police training class in August is now in the hands of the state attorney’s office.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has turned its criminal investigative report into the death of Mary Knowlton over to the state attorney for a review and decision on whether to pursue criminal charges for Lee Coel, the Punta Gorda Police Department officer who pulled the trigger.

Police department officials said they haven’t received a copy of the FDLE report. The department has published its own review of the high-profile case on its website.

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