A Kansas City police officer shot an unarmed pregnant Black woman Friday night. The woman is currently hospitalized.
CBS KCTV-5 reports Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating, which is protocol to have an external agency investigate KCPD officer-related shootings. MSHP stated the responding officers were answering a call about an alleged armed carjacking, which included a thorough description and a license plate number.
The Kansas City Police Officers approached the suspected vehicle and the male driver fled with officers in pursuit. The woman, later identified as 26-year-old Leonna Hale, also ran into the parking lot.
The MSHP stated a handgun was found in the parking lot and two KCPD officers fired shots. Hale was shot and was taken to the hospital. The male suspect was not wounded but taken to a local hospital for an unrelated medical issue.
“We never want to be in these type of situations,” Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department’s Interim Police Chief Joseph Mabin said. “Not the public, as a police department. Anytime it happens is a blight on our community. I want to ensure the public the scene is secure. There’s no on-going threat. We’re committed to be 100% transparent. This is a holiday weekend. It’s time for friends. Not a time for violence.”
A citizen, 29-year-old Shedanja, at the scene told the Kansas City Star the woman did not draw a woman or have anything in her hand. “She did not pull out a weapon on them,” a witness said. “She did not even have a stick in her hand.” Shédanja also stated Hale was just three steps away from the officers.
“One, two, three, four, five. I remember it because it didn’t stop. They shot five times,” Shédanja said to The Star. “I remember seeing her hit the ground and I froze.” In a video that was released online, officers asked Hale to get on the ground, but she stated she was unable to because she was pregnant. In addition, the witness stated Hale alerted officers there was a gun in the car. As she backed away from officers who had their guns at her, the officers opened fire shooting the woman multiple times.
