In a tragic turn of events, an African-American woman who had called the cops for help at her home was shot down by the officers in front of her children. The incident has met with widespread condemnation and outrage.
30-year old Charleena Lyles, mother of four and pregnant with her fifth child was killed by two Seattle police officers on Sunday, June 18. The fatal shooting of the woman in front of her children after she called police for help was met with widespread condemnation even as people struggled to learn more about the events that led to Charleena Lyles’ death at the hands of two white Seattle Police officers.
Seattle woman killed by police
The two policemen arrived at the house after Lyles reported a break-in at her home. At first, after the arrival of the cops, Lyles had a calm conversation with them. At that time, her other three children where at home. However, suddenly, she attempted to attack the cops with a knife while yelling "you ready? Motherf---s,". All these were revealed in an audio recording, which was released by the Seattle police department. During this scuffle, the police officers open fired on the pregnant woman, while at least one of her children is heard crying in the background.
Although the officers immediately got her first aid during the time the Seattle Fire Department came over, but the officials declared her dead upon arriving.
The children present inside the building while the incident took place where not harmed. Monika Williams, Charleena’s sister said that her late sister was “tiny” in build and had “mental health problems.” Her family members also stated that she was three months pregnant and had long struggled with her mental illness.
Officers condemned for shooting pregnant woman
In the four-minute audio recording that was released by the police, the officer at the beginning of the audio clip discussed a “safety caution” about her address. The officers clearly stated in the recording that they knew that the woman was mentally unstable and knew of a previous incident where she had brandished metal shears at the law enforcement to prevent them from entering her house.
Many have pointed out that despite having the knowledge what they were going to encounter; the police officers resorted to the most lethal way of restraining the woman even when they could have used tasers to bring her under control. For the unfamiliar, all Seattle police officers before joining the force are given training on how to handle people suffering from mental illness o drug abuse. The police department has refused to release the names or races of the officers involved in the shooting.
