Latest news with #ReaganChown
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Future taken away': Family of slain cop Anthony Woods reveal heartbreak as man jailed for manslaughter
The family of a Perth cop killed in the line of duty when he tried to stop a car thief, before being dragged under the vehicle, have revealed their heartbreak at his future being 'taken away'. Reagan Chown, 25, was sentenced in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday to 15.5 years' jail for the manslaughter of Constable Anthony Woods in June 2023. He will be eligible for parole after serving 13.5 years behind bars. Chown was behind the wheel of a stolen Holden Cruze when he reversed and dragged Constable Woods, 28, under the vehicle. Chown had pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter but was found guilty by a jury earlier this year. The court was told police had pursued the stolen vehicle, which had reached speeds of up to 83kmh in a 40km zone, before it stopped in a cul-de-sac in the Perth suburb of Ascot. Constable Woods tried to arrest Chown and tasered him, but the 25-year-old put his car in reverse and hit the accelerator, dragging, trapping the officer under the car. Constable Woods died from his injuries in hospital. On Thursday, Constable Woods' mother Natalie read a victim impact statement to the court before Chown was sentenced. Ms Woods said her heart was ripped away on the day Anthony died and she felt like she had 'died'. 'He was doing his duty and he was protecting his community and his future was taken away,' she said. 'Each anniversary, birthday and any moment we shared with him is now painful for us.' Justice Joseph McGrath said during sentencing that Chown deliberately put his car into reverse and moved it backwards by putting his foot on the accelerator. He said Chown was criminally negligent for the circumstances, rejecting his defence that being tasered made him not criminally responsible for Constable Woods' death. 'Police were still pursuing you to charge you with reckless driving, and you were driving a stolen vehicle,' Justice McGrath said. 'The police had every reason to form a belief that you intended to flee. 'You had reached the end of the road. 'That you are not criminally negligent is unacceptable.' Justice McGrath said Woods was trapped under the car when Chown reversed at speed, losing control of the vehicle. 'I am satisfied you intended to flee from police and that you ignored the officers command and put the car into reverse and put your foot on the accelerator,' he said. 'You decided to get away and tried to escape. 'The movement of the car was done by you.' 'It would be fanciful to make a finding that Constable Woods somehow did wrong here, officers make split second decisions, (you) was speeding through Epsom Ave high on meth when officers intervened. 'This does not come close to some unauthorised discharge.' Chown's defence lawyer told the court his client had become addicted to drugs working as a FIFO worker. He said it was a combination of being away from his family, who lived regionally, having too much time off work in-between his shifts and his drug addiction – for which Chown said he was 'disgusted'. Justice McGrath accepted that Chown did not intend to kill the officer.
ABC News
13 hours ago
- ABC News
Reagan Chown sentenced to 15 years in jail over manslaughter of Constable Anthony Woods
A meth-addled drug addict who ran over and killed a police officer after a high-speed car chase through the streets of Perth has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. Reagan Chown reversed the stolen car over Constable Anthony Woods, who was trying to apprehend him in June 2023. The vehicles had come to a stop at a cul-de-sac in Ascot and Constable Woods approached Chown's vehicle, opened the driver's door and used his taser. Chown had claimed he lost control of the vehicle after he was tasered but a jury later found him guilty of manslaughter. In the WA Supreme Court on Thursday, prosecutor Justin Whalley said it was a "serious example of criminal negligence manslaughter" and a "clear message" needed to be sent to those refusing police instructions or trying to evade officers. Chown, appearing via a video call from Albany Regional Prison, was sentenced to 14 and a half years for manslaughter and one year for reckless driving.
ABC News
13-05-2025
- ABC News
Reagan Chown found guilty of manslaughter of Constable Anthony Woods after running him over with car
A car thief who was high on meth when he ran over a police officer after a chase through the streets of Perth has been found guilty of killing him. Reagan Chown was at the wheel of a stolen Holden Cruze when it reversed, trapping Constable Anthony Woods between the door and the body of the car after a traffic stop in June 2023. The Cruze had been pursued by police, reaching speeds of more than 80 kilometres per hour in a 40 kph zone, before coming to a stop in a cul-de-sac in Ascot. Constable Woods was attempting to apprehend Chown but after tasering him, Constable Woods was dragged under the vehicle as it swung backwards and hit bollards. He died in hospital three days later. There were gasps in the public gallery as the verdict was read out, with several people in tears. Commissioner Col Blanch was among those in court for the verdict, along with a number of police officers. Chown, who was standing for the verdict, did not react. Constable Woods, 28, was described by Police Commissioner Col Blanch as a "brave and dedicated" officer. There was an outpouring of grief in the wake of his death, the 88th WA police officer to die in the line of duty. He had only recently completed his probationary period. Chown faced a murder charge, but it was downgraded to manslaughter days before the trial was to begin. He had claimed he lost control of his arms and legs, and the vehicle, after he was tasered. CCTV footage from a nearby home had been played in court, during which a voice could be heard saying "stay where you are" twice, just before the cracking sound of taser. Chown claimed he never heard those words — and during the trial admitted lying to police about his meth use, saying "narcotics and drug abuse clouded" his judgement. In his closing statements, prosecutor Justin Whalley told the jury Chown was criminally negligent because the Cruze was "reversing backwards under power". He referred to Chown as a "drug affected car thief" whose version of events changed between 2023 and when he took the stand at his trial. Mr Whalley told the jury Chown had initially said the "car was stationary", and in neutral, and he had his foot on the brake before he was tasered. But footage from the scene showed the car was already going backwards when he was tasered. On the stand last week, Chown said he may have accidentally put it into reverse instead of park, and possibly moved his foot to the accelerator. A medical expert also told the court a taser would not affect the entire body, as Chown had suggested happened to him. The jury took under three hours to find Chown guilty of manslaughter.
ABC News
09-05-2025
- ABC News
Court hears Constable Anthony Woods alleged killer may have 'unconsciously' pressed accelerator before being tasered
A man accused of killing a police officer by driving over him in a stolen car after a high-speed chase has admitted he may have "unconsciously" put his foot on the accelerator before being tasered. Constable Anthony Woods, 28, died three days after being dragged under the car after a traffic stop in the early hours of the morning in June 2023. The police officer had been chasing a stolen Holden Cruze through the streets of Perth and had approached the driver's door after stopping it in a riverside cul-de-sac in Ascot. Reagan Chown, 25, was behind the wheel and upon taking the stand for the first time at his manslaughter trial, he told the jury he had no control of the car after he was tasered by Constable Woods. Constable Woods was between the car door and the body of the vehicle and was pulled under it when it went into reverse, mounted a kerb and hit a pole. On the stand, Mr Chown admitted to lying to police about his meth use, and whether the car was stolen. "Narcotics and drug abuse clouded my judgement," he said. He testified he didn't know why he tried to escape police when they attempted to pull him over. Mr Chown said when he was stopped in the cul-de-sac, he struggled to put the car in park, saying there may have been a phone in the way. Mr Chown said a "bright light" lit up the car, "like a torch", and a door opened and shut "in quick succession". He told the court he didn't hear Constable Woods say anything. "Can't remember if there was a struggle or not," he said, before the taser was deployed. Mr Chown said it was "almost like your muscles were set on fire". Mr Chown said he didn't have control of his legs or arms and felt pain from his neck downwards. Under questioning from prosecutor Justin Whalley, Mr Chown said he did not remember putting the car in reverse, but agreed the car was already moving backwards before he was tasered. He said his foot may have accidentally gone onto the accelerator, and denied he was trying to get away. Mr Chown admitted it was possible he could have "unconsciously" put his foot on the accelerator before being tasered. He accepted he wasn't actually unconscious at the time but said he could not remember doing it. Mr Chown said he didn't see Constable Woods trapped between the car door and the body of the car, because his "eyes were shut". Mr Whalley also asked him about a phone call to his father, recorded when he was in prison in June 2023. During the call, Reagan Chown said "the c**t pulled me over and f**king tasered me". Mr Chown's lawyer asked him why he used such language and he said: "jail's a vicious environment." Mr Chown was also heard on the call saying his "foot went straight onto accelerator and my left arm spazzed out". Closing submissions in the trial are expected to start on Monday.
