Latest news with #ConstWoods
Perth Now
03-07-2025
- Perth Now
Meth user handed hefty jail term for cop's car killing
A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young policeman while trying to escape arrest will spend more than a decade in prison. Reagan Ainslie Chown, 25, was convicted of manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. He was sentenced in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Thursday to a head sentence of 15 years and six months, and a minimum term of 13 years and six months. Const Woods' mother Natalie said her heart was "ripped" away the day her son died. "My beautiful son Anthony was so full of life, energy and ambition," she said as she read her victim impact statement to the court. "He was doing his duty and he was protecting his community and his future was taken away." Ms Woods said her family continued to suffer and "each anniversary, birthday and any moment we shared with him is now painful for us". "Whatever he did, he had a great passion ... he was larger than life, but his love for his family was number one," she said. Chown and two others fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz in a high-speed chase before turning into a cul-de-sac and coming to a stop. Const Woods, 28, opened the driver's door and tried to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel with the engine running. Chown put the car into reverse and accelerated in a bid to escape. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before falling and being dragged under the vehicle, where he became trapped. CCTV footage played during the trial in May showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Const Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. The officer died several days after the incident from complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. During his trial, he argued he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. Justice Joseph McGrath said Chown intended to flee police and ignored the officer's lawful commands. "Undoubtedly, the Taser caused you pain and discomfort, but your course of conduct was set and it was done consciously and deliberately," he said. "Even if you were not tasered, you would have reversed and that was your intention." Const Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Chown was initially accused of murder but the charge was downgraded to manslaughter a week before his trial. He was also convicted of stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police and was also sentenced for those offences.
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Meth user who ran over cop found guilty of manslaughter
A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young "hero" policeman after the officer tasered him has been found guilty of manslaughter. Reagan Ainslie Chown pleaded not guilty in the West Australian Supreme Court to manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. The 25-year-old said he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. A jury on Tuesday took less than three hours to find Chown guilty of manslaughter. Const Woods' loved ones and colleagues, including WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, wept with relief and hugged after the guilty verdict was delivered. The court heard Chown and two others had fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz before stopping in a cul-de-sac. Const Woods, 28, opened the Holden driver's door and attempted to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before "falling and being dragged under the accused's vehicle to his ultimate death". CCTV footage played for the jury showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Const Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. A loud crack can also be heard. Prosecutor Justin Whalley explained during his opening submissions it was the sound of Const Woods' Taser firing, before he disappears below the moving car. "Const Woods became trapped under the accused's car," Mr Whalley said. "He was taken to hospital but his injuries were not survivable." The court heard his death several days later was due to complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Mr Whalley said Chown was attempting to flee before Const Woods tasered him. He said Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. Const Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Outside court, Const Woods' mother, Natalie Woods, said her family was overwhelmed and satisfied with the verdict. "Now we can let him rest and start just living his memory the best way we can," she said. Mr Blanch said Const Woods was a hero. "He will always be in our memories," he said. "The blue family is hurting ... and we've been hurting since this happened, but today is a small piece of justice that will live in our hearts." Asked about Chown's defence stating Const Woods had placed himself in a dangerous position, Mr Blanch said the comments were "offensive and disgusting". "I reject any notion that Anthony should not have done what he did ... he did his job (and) he never got to go home from his shift that night," he said. Chown was originally charged with murder but it was downgraded to manslaughter the week before his trial. He will be sentenced on July 3. Chown previously pleaded guilty to stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police. A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young "hero" policeman after the officer tasered him has been found guilty of manslaughter. Reagan Ainslie Chown pleaded not guilty in the West Australian Supreme Court to manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. The 25-year-old said he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. A jury on Tuesday took less than three hours to find Chown guilty of manslaughter. Const Woods' loved ones and colleagues, including WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, wept with relief and hugged after the guilty verdict was delivered. The court heard Chown and two others had fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz before stopping in a cul-de-sac. Const Woods, 28, opened the Holden driver's door and attempted to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before "falling and being dragged under the accused's vehicle to his ultimate death". CCTV footage played for the jury showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Const Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. A loud crack can also be heard. Prosecutor Justin Whalley explained during his opening submissions it was the sound of Const Woods' Taser firing, before he disappears below the moving car. "Const Woods became trapped under the accused's car," Mr Whalley said. "He was taken to hospital but his injuries were not survivable." The court heard his death several days later was due to complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Mr Whalley said Chown was attempting to flee before Const Woods tasered him. He said Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. Const Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Outside court, Const Woods' mother, Natalie Woods, said her family was overwhelmed and satisfied with the verdict. "Now we can let him rest and start just living his memory the best way we can," she said. Mr Blanch said Const Woods was a hero. "He will always be in our memories," he said. "The blue family is hurting ... and we've been hurting since this happened, but today is a small piece of justice that will live in our hearts." Asked about Chown's defence stating Const Woods had placed himself in a dangerous position, Mr Blanch said the comments were "offensive and disgusting". "I reject any notion that Anthony should not have done what he did ... he did his job (and) he never got to go home from his shift that night," he said. Chown was originally charged with murder but it was downgraded to manslaughter the week before his trial. He will be sentenced on July 3. Chown previously pleaded guilty to stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police. A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young "hero" policeman after the officer tasered him has been found guilty of manslaughter. Reagan Ainslie Chown pleaded not guilty in the West Australian Supreme Court to manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. The 25-year-old said he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. A jury on Tuesday took less than three hours to find Chown guilty of manslaughter. Const Woods' loved ones and colleagues, including WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, wept with relief and hugged after the guilty verdict was delivered. The court heard Chown and two others had fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz before stopping in a cul-de-sac. Const Woods, 28, opened the Holden driver's door and attempted to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before "falling and being dragged under the accused's vehicle to his ultimate death". CCTV footage played for the jury showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Const Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. A loud crack can also be heard. Prosecutor Justin Whalley explained during his opening submissions it was the sound of Const Woods' Taser firing, before he disappears below the moving car. "Const Woods became trapped under the accused's car," Mr Whalley said. "He was taken to hospital but his injuries were not survivable." The court heard his death several days later was due to complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Mr Whalley said Chown was attempting to flee before Const Woods tasered him. He said Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. Const Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Outside court, Const Woods' mother, Natalie Woods, said her family was overwhelmed and satisfied with the verdict. "Now we can let him rest and start just living his memory the best way we can," she said. Mr Blanch said Const Woods was a hero. "He will always be in our memories," he said. "The blue family is hurting ... and we've been hurting since this happened, but today is a small piece of justice that will live in our hearts." Asked about Chown's defence stating Const Woods had placed himself in a dangerous position, Mr Blanch said the comments were "offensive and disgusting". "I reject any notion that Anthony should not have done what he did ... he did his job (and) he never got to go home from his shift that night," he said. Chown was originally charged with murder but it was downgraded to manslaughter the week before his trial. He will be sentenced on July 3. Chown previously pleaded guilty to stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police. A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young "hero" policeman after the officer tasered him has been found guilty of manslaughter. Reagan Ainslie Chown pleaded not guilty in the West Australian Supreme Court to manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. The 25-year-old said he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. A jury on Tuesday took less than three hours to find Chown guilty of manslaughter. Const Woods' loved ones and colleagues, including WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, wept with relief and hugged after the guilty verdict was delivered. The court heard Chown and two others had fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz before stopping in a cul-de-sac. Const Woods, 28, opened the Holden driver's door and attempted to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before "falling and being dragged under the accused's vehicle to his ultimate death". CCTV footage played for the jury showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Const Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. A loud crack can also be heard. Prosecutor Justin Whalley explained during his opening submissions it was the sound of Const Woods' Taser firing, before he disappears below the moving car. "Const Woods became trapped under the accused's car," Mr Whalley said. "He was taken to hospital but his injuries were not survivable." The court heard his death several days later was due to complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Mr Whalley said Chown was attempting to flee before Const Woods tasered him. He said Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. Const Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Outside court, Const Woods' mother, Natalie Woods, said her family was overwhelmed and satisfied with the verdict. "Now we can let him rest and start just living his memory the best way we can," she said. Mr Blanch said Const Woods was a hero. "He will always be in our memories," he said. "The blue family is hurting ... and we've been hurting since this happened, but today is a small piece of justice that will live in our hearts." Asked about Chown's defence stating Const Woods had placed himself in a dangerous position, Mr Blanch said the comments were "offensive and disgusting". "I reject any notion that Anthony should not have done what he did ... he did his job (and) he never got to go home from his shift that night," he said. Chown was originally charged with murder but it was downgraded to manslaughter the week before his trial. He will be sentenced on July 3. Chown previously pleaded guilty to stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police.
Perth Now
13-05-2025
- Perth Now
Meth user who ran over cop found guilty of manslaughter
A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young "hero" policeman after the officer tasered him has been found guilty of manslaughter. Reagan Ainslie Chown pleaded not guilty in the West Australian Supreme Court to manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. The 25-year-old said he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. A jury on Tuesday took less than three hours to find Chown guilty of manslaughter. Const Woods' loved ones and colleagues, including WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, wept with relief and hugged after the guilty verdict was delivered. The court heard Chown and two others had fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz before stopping in a cul-de-sac. Const Woods, 28, opened the Holden driver's door and attempted to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before "falling and being dragged under the accused's vehicle to his ultimate death". CCTV footage played for the jury showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Const Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. A loud crack can also be heard. Prosecutor Justin Whalley explained during his opening submissions it was the sound of Const Woods' Taser firing, before he disappears below the moving car. "Const Woods became trapped under the accused's car," Mr Whalley said. "He was taken to hospital but his injuries were not survivable." The court heard his death several days later was due to complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Mr Whalley said Chown was attempting to flee before Const Woods tasered him. He said Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. Const Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Outside court, Const Woods' mother, Natalie Woods, said her family was overwhelmed and satisfied with the verdict. "Now we can let him rest and start just living his memory the best way we can," she said. Mr Blanch said Const Woods was a hero. "He will always be in our memories," he said. "The blue family is hurting ... and we've been hurting since this happened, but today is a small piece of justice that will live in our hearts." Asked about Chown's defence stating Const Woods had placed himself in a dangerous position, Mr Blanch said the comments were "offensive and disgusting". "I reject any notion that Anthony should not have done what he did ... he did his job (and) he never got to go home from his shift that night," he said. Chown was originally charged with murder but it was downgraded to manslaughter the week before his trial. He will be sentenced on July 3. Chown previously pleaded guilty to stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police.
Perth Now
05-05-2025
- Perth Now
Accused cop killer says Taser made him lose control
A man accused of running over and killing a police constable in a bid to avoid arrest says the officer's Taser caused him to lose control of a stolen vehicle, a jury has heard. Reagan Ainslie Chown, 25, pleaded not guilty to manslaughter in the West Australian Supreme Court on Monday over the June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. Prosecutor Justin Whalley told the jury Chown and two others fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz before turning into a cul-de-sac, where the vehicle came to a stop. Const Woods, 28, exited a police vehicle and opened the Holden driver's door where Chown was allegedly seated and attempted to detain him. In the seconds that followed, Chown allegedly attempted to drive off and Const Woods fired his Taser before "falling and being dragged under the accused's vehicle to his ultimate death". Mr Whalley said the Taser's two barbs struck Chown in his right elbow and left upper thigh. CCTV footage showed the Holden reversing at speed while turning left, mounting a kerb and hitting a bollard before coming to a stop. During the video, Const Woods can be heard saying "stay where you are" twice. A loud crack can also be heard, with Mr Whalley explaining to the jury it was the sound of Const Woods' Taser firing, as the vehicle continued to move backwards. "Const Woods became trapped under the accused's car," Mr Whalley said. "He was taken to hospital but his injuries were not survivable." The jury heard his cause of death was complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Chown's barrister Paul Bevilacqua said his client's actions on the night were disgraceful and criminal. But the Taser had deprived Chown of the capacity to control his body and he was not responsible for Const Woods' death. He said the CCTV showed that after the Taser was fired, the car was out of control as it moved backwards. Const Woods' partner on the night, then-Sergeant Michael Fisher said the officer "got caught up somehow and dragged under the front wheels". Sgt Fisher's body-worn camera footage, played for the jury, showed him move to the front of the Holden and bend down with a torch to check on Const Woods. "How are you doing, mate?" he can he heard saying in the video. Sgt Fisher said Const Woods was unresponsive, and that he and other officers used a trolley jack to lift the Holden and pull their colleague from under it. The footage also showed Sgt Fisher handcuffing Chown and the two other people in the Holden with him when Const Woods was struck. In the video, Chown can repeatedly be heard saying "is he OK?" in reference to Const Woods, as Sgt Fisher finds a knife in his possession. Mr Whalley told the jury Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. He also detailed Chown's interview with investigators before Const Woods died, when he allegedly said: "If I didn't get shot with the Taser none of this would have happened". Mr Bevilacqua agreed he lacked empathy at the time. "It's not like I wanted to hit the accelerator," Chown had said. The trial continues.
