Woman Who Stole Police Car and Ran Over Officer While Naked Gets Acquitted with Insanity Defense

Esme Mazzeo

May 30, 2024 at 4:37 p.m.·2 min read

A Cook County judge found Whitley Temple not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges related to a 2022 incident

A woman in Chicago has been found not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges related to a June 2022 incident in which she stole a police car and ran over a police officer, all while she was naked.

Local news site CBS News Chicago reported that on Wednesday, May 29, Cook County Judge Tyria Walton found Whitley Temple not guilty on five charges related to an incident that occurred on June 13, 2022 when Chicago Police Officer Edward Poppish found her naked in the street West Garfield Park.

When Officer Poppish exited the squad vehicle, Temple took the SUV before running him over and dragging him with the vehicle before speeding down an expressway at 90 mph, where she eventually crashed into four cars.

The police officer had a concussion and required stitches to his head after the incident.

Per CBS News Chicago and local news site WGN 9, Temple's charges included one felony count of attempted first-degree murder, one felony count of vehicular hijacking, one felony count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, one felony count of aggravated battery of a peace officer and one felony count of resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Per WGN 9, Temple, who is in her 30s, also faced one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license and got a citation for operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Her defense attorney told Judge Walton in the bench trial that Temple "was in a psychotic state" for days before the incident occurred and that her family had been concerned about her mental state, CBS News reported.

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She reportedly had a "paranoid idea" that people were after her and attempting to kill the women in her family. Temple also thought she'd been sexually assaulted, her attorney said per CBS News.

The verdict means that Temple will remain free, although she has to report to court for "a meeting with mental health officials on a treatment plan," per CBS News.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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