University attorney critically wounded
A lawyer for USF’s General Counsel’s office is listed in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital after being shot twice Tuesday night.
According to Tampa Police Department, associate General Counsel Olga Joanow, 37, was shot twice by her friend Patricia Banks about 10:30 p.m. after an argument between the two.Banks had been driving Joanow east on Adamo Drive, according to Joe Durkin, public information officer for Tampa police.
Witnesses said the two were having an argument, which escalated to the point of Banks stopping the car in the middle of the road, blocking traffic.
“After that, Joanow falls out of the car, and Banks leans over the passenger seat and shoots her twice while she’s on the ground,” Durkin said. “Banks gets out of the car and starts walking north on the railroad tracks where she was ultimately arrested by police.”Senior USF Counsel Debra King said her staff has not yet begun to emotionally deal with the situation, since Joanow is still in critical condition.
“She’s well regarded in this office, and this is pretty shocking to us,” King said. “We just heard first thing this morning that she had been shot and had been at (TGH) and had surgery twice.”
Her employment reviews laude her prowess during litigation. She has been promoted several times since the General Counsel’s office hired her in 1993.
Durkin said alcohol may have been involved earlier in the night. Banks, 50, is currently being held at the Orient Road Jail, charged with attempted homicide.
More Stories
Meet the Team
Oracle EditorProfile
USF gives it away in Memphis 34-33
At the half, a 14-point lead meant USF was on track to win its first conference game in over a calendar year. That energy was kept up even with under five minutes to go when the Bulls were up 33-20. Then USF watched as its lead went from comfortable, to slim, to nonexistent in the […]
Club teams missing competition, friendship due to COVID-19
Under normal circumstances, Grant Nolder, president of the USF flag football team would be preparing for the club’s biggest competition of the year, the Swamp Bowl. The annual tournament, hosted at UF, typically takes place during the fall semester and features some of the best club flag football teams in the country. Winners of the […]
Bulls battle with ECU in OT win
Coach Brian Gregory said Tuesday the Bulls didn’t play complete, 40-minute games in their two losses last week. It’s debatable if they did Wednesday night against East Carolina (11-18, 5-11) at the Yuengling Center, but it was more than enough to put up a 73-68 overtime win. “It’s funny. There were stretches where we played […]
First SG scholarship rewards student leaders
Student Government (SG) launched the first-of-its-kind, merit-based scholarship to students Nov. 5 on USF’s Tampa campus. As a part of Student Body President Britney Deas and Student Body Vice President Travis McCloskey’s platform, Bull S.H.I.F.T., — Success, Health, Innovation, Finance and Tradition — the SG’s Student Leadership Scholarship consists of two merit-based scholarships which will […]
On-campus Jabil institute sparks anticipation from students
A plan drafted on a bar napkin two years ago has now become the USF Jabil Innovation Institute, a multi-million dollar institute combining the College of Engineering and the Muma College of Business. Senior Vice President of Advancement and CEO of the USF Foundation Joel Momberg and Jabil CEO Mark Mondello jotted the idea down […]