Bystander upset Gastonia won’t pay repair bills for bullets that hit her house

GASTONIA, N.C. — You may remember the police standoff at Jeremy Bonham’s home in Gastonia in July. Police say the 39-year-old Army veteran shot at them and that officers shot back, killing him.

Many of those bullets ended up striking Gail VonCannon’s house, behind Bonham’s.

She told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke the gunshots woke her up.

“It’s horrifying. It was horrifying to me to be asleep … and be awakened with gunshots coming through my bedroom,” she said.

VonCannon says bullets hit her gutter, walls, window, furniture, grill, and propane tank. She also says some even ended up inside her house.

Stoogenke saw holes, which indicated a bullet shot across the bed where she was sleeping. She says another bullet actually hit the bed where guests sleep. Fortunately, no one was there at the time.

She filed a claim with the city of Gastonia, but officials denied it, saying they don’t have to pay because police were carrying out their official duties and acted reasonably under the circumstances.

"I thought the city of Gastonia would step up to the plate and do the right thing. But they did not," she said.

The city emailed Action 9, “It is correct that the city’s insurer denied this claim, but we are unable to comment any further.”

Here’s what you should know:

If officers damage your property while carrying out their official duties, the government may not have to pay you.
You should still file a claim with the jurisdiction the officers work for.
If that doesn’t work, your insurance may cover the damage. That’s what VonCannon’s doing.
You may want to talk to a lawyer, but these can be hard cases to win.
Ultimately, if a defendant is found guilty, they may owe you restitution. But that can take a long time and don’t count on them being able to pay.

If it happens to you:

Take photos/video of the damage.
See if your neighbors have security camera footage of the actual law enforcement activity.
Ask an officer on the scene for contact information if possible.
Ask for the police report, search warrant, and other paperwork associated with the case.

VIDEO: 1 person killed in Gastonia officer-involved shooting