Cop charged after hitting and killing 4-year-old with police cruiser, MO officials say

Charges have been filed against a Missouri police officer nearly a year after she struck and killed a 4-year-old with her police cruiser, the Columbia Daily-Tribune reported.

Andria Elizabeth Heese was charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter in the death of Gabriella Curry by Camden County prosecutor Heather Miller on Monday, according to KRCG 13.

“The delay in this has been due to the complexity of the investigation,” Miller told the Daily-Tribune. “Anytime we have a serious traffic incident, especially when there is a fatality involved, then we are looking at not just an interview, but actual reconstruction. There were a lot of videos which had to be reviewed and video which was recovered later.”

Heese reportedly was parking her car on the sidewalk to watch students as they climbed onto school buses outside of Battle High School on Jan. 4 when she struck Gabriella “who was taken to University Hospital and died there,” KRCG 13 reported.

In May, the City of Columbia paid a $3.4 million settlement to the Curry family, KOMU said.

The Columbia Public Schools also paid Aaron and Cheyenne Curry, parents of Gabriella, a $125,000 settlement and denied “any liability or wrongdoing in making the payment to settle the case,” the Daily-Tribune reported.

“Heese was initially put on administrative leave after the incident,” according to KOMU.