Kimberly Ann McQueen, 55, was arrested in the incident, according to acting Chief Tim Celli.
Just after 2:20 a.m. Sunday Det. Elvis Cook – who was assigned to a patrol to cover for another officer’s vacation – was driving in the area of Pine Street and Olympic Drive, Celli said.
McQueen – with whom the Clearlake Police Department has an extensive history – was standing on the sidewalk adjacent to Olympic Drive, and when Cook passed her on the roadway, she started yelling at him, according to Celli.
Celli said Cook decided to contact McQueen to find out what the problem was, and she continued to yell and started walking away from him. Cook tried to contact her to talk with her about her bizarre behavior and determine if she was in need of assistance.
McQueen continued to walk away from Cook while still yelling. Celli said she entered Austin Park, which is closed to the public at that hour. Due to the bizarre demeanor she was displaying, Cook called for a backup unit.
While McQueen was approximately 30 yards from Cook in the open field at Austin Park, she pulled a handgun from her waist area, raised it shoulder level and fired a single round in Cook’s direction, Celli said.
Celli said McQueen continued to walk away from Cook, who alerted other units as well as dispatch about what was unfolding and requested immediate assistance.
Cook continued to follow McQueen, using sound tactics and concealment, Celli said. Eventually Cook was able to gain a position of advantage on McQueen when she reached the area near the Austin Park bathroom near Lakeshore Drive. This area was well lit by nearby park lights.
At that point, Cook confronted McQueen at gunpoint; Celli said she was still in possession of the firearm. After several orders, she threw the firearm down, but remained confrontational toward the officer. Additional officers arrived on scene and McQueen was safely taken into custody.
The firearm was discovered to have malfunctioned when McQueen fired the single shot, which Celli said may be the reason she decided to thrown down the firearm.
Celli said the firearm was still loaded with six live rounds and McQueen was in possession of a second magazine loaded with 10 additional rounds.
“I am extremely thankful this very dangerous situation was able to be resolved without anyone being hurt,” Celli said. “I am very proud of Det. Cook and his actions. He used commendable restraint while facing down an armed person who already displayed willingness to use deadly force on him. He used sound tactics and concealment to approach the woman and calmly took action to bring this situation to a safe resolve when the time was right.”
McQueen was booked into the Lake County Jail on felony charges of assault with a firearm, willful discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner and obstructing or resisting an executive officer, according to her booking sheet.
Jail records showed that she remains in custody, with bail set at $250,000.