Woman repeatedly tasered by Warren cop in '07 dead at 47

WARREN

A woman who settled a high-profile lawsuit against the city of Warren in 2010 after being repeatedly shocked with a stun weapon by a police officer died Wednesday at age 47, a Trumbull County Coroner’s Office spokeswoman confirmed.

The coroner’s office is investigating the exact cause of Heidi Gill’s death and will perform an autopsy today. Gill of Liberty died in St. Joseph Warren Hospital.

Gill’s complaint arose after Warren Police Officer Richard Kovach repeatedly shocked her outside Up a Creek Tavern in September 2007. The case gained national attention and dashboard camera footage of the incident was widely circulated.

Analysis determined Kovach shocked Gill a total of seven times. He shocked her both before and after placing her in handcuffs. At one point, Gill fell to the ground and was knocked unconscious.

Youngstown lawyer Mark Hanni, who represented Gill for a time, said Thursday, “It was an atrocity that it happened. It was a prime example of police brutality that had been happening all across the country.

Read more about her an the case in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.