Woman who died in officer-involved shooting struggled with drug addiction, friend says

BUTLER TWP. — A woman that knew the woman killed in a confrontation with Butler Township Sunday says Terena Thurman’s actions may have been motivated by her addictions.

>> Female robbery suspect killed in Butler Twp. officer-involved shooting identified

36-year-old Terena Thurman died when officers said she put a stolen pickup in reverse and knocked an officer down while trying to get away from them at the Day’s Inn on Miller Lane.

Police said that one officer fired at least two shots and Thurman died from a gunshot wound.

Charity Dickey said , “When addiction takes over you, it takes over you”.

Charity dickey met Terena Thurman three years ago when she began dating the father of Thurman’s three year old daughter.

Dickey said Terena thurman had lost custody of the little girl and continued to struggle with addiction for the three years she knew her.

Dickey said of Thurman’s actions at the Day’s Inn, “I can only assume she was doing something for money, for her addiction”.

Butler township police say an employee called 911 reporting that a man claimed Thurman had stolen money from him.

Police say Thurman ran from a second floor walkway when they confronted her.

They said she then assaulted another man and forced him out of his pickup.

Two officers tried to pull her out of the pickup but she put the vehicle in reverse, leading to the fatal confrontation.

Dickey said Thurman knew she had an arrest warrant and wanted to run, “because nothing’s worse than being dopesick, sitting in Jail”.

Dickey’s been serving as stand-in mother for Thurman’s now 6 year old girl for the last three years, raising her with her own two children.

She didn’t want to see anything happen to Thurman before she could get clean and beat her addictions.

Thurman said she wishes police could have found alternatives and, “Treated it a little differently than shooting her in the chest, unfortunately that’s the risk you take when you’re living that crazy lifestyle”.

Montgomery county sheriff’s deputies are handling the criminal investigation of the shooting.

But the Butler Township police chief backs his officer’s actions.

Chief John Porter said, “I’m very confident that these officers acted in the best interest of the lives and safety of the residents and the general public”.

The incident now leaves Charity dickey raising a little girl as her own and wishing things had turned out differently for the child’s biological mother.

“I wish she would have got support and help, she has a good soul, a good spirit”, Dickey said..

The two Butler Township officers involved in the incident are on paid Administrative leave, which is standard procedure in these type of cases.

The Montgomery county sheriff’s office has not set any deadlines on their review of the incident.

Cox Media Group