INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – A Missouri police officer who shot and killed a woman and her baby last year has not been charged with a crime by a prosecutor.
In November, Independence police responded to a suspected assault at an apartment complex. According to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson’s office on Friday, the woman, who was nonverbal and only used nods and gestures to communicate, suddenly grabbed a butcher knife from a bedside table and approached the officers while carrying the infant while they were determining how to make an arrest.
According to Johnson’s office, one cop retreated, but the other was unable to go because he was pressed up against a closet. According to the office, he fired four bullets as the woman approached him brandishing the knife. KCUR news identified the victims as 34-year-old Maria Pike and her 3-month-old baby, Destinii, who were shot and died.
The officer’s use of lethal force “falls within the protection of the law,” according to Johnson’s office.
Additionally, her agency pointed out that there was insufficient proof to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer shot the baby on purpose.
In a statement, prosecutors claimed that the civilian holding the baby was shot by the shooting officer.
“This choice was not made hastily. “It is tragic and devastating to lose a young mother and her baby,” Johnson added. But as prosecutors, we are sworn to uphold the law and evaluate the evidence without being influenced by our compassion for all parties involved. Our goal is to ascertain if the actions taken were reasonable under Missouri law, not if they were the wisest course of action.
