INDEPENDENCE, MO - On Friday, March 14th, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office announced that it will not be filing criminal charges against a police officer who shot and killed a woman and her infant child.
According to ABC News, Jackson County Prosecutor Melissa Johnson said that the officer's use of deadly force "falls within the protection of the law." Her office also noted that there was not enough evidence to conclusively prove the officer intentionally shot the infant. Prosecutors wrote in a statement, "The evidence shows that the shooting officer shot the civilian who was holding the infant."
Johnson said, "We did not arrive at this decision lightly. The loss of a young mother and her infant are devastating and tragic. However, as prosecutors, we are bound by an oath to apply the law and analyze facts without being guided by the sympathy we feel for all those impacted. Our purpose is to determine if what was done was reasonable, defined by Missouri law, and not whether it was the best course of action."
KCUR reported that Missouri law states that if an officer decides on the scene, based on the circumstances and facts, that an arrest is lawful, the officer can use their discretion to decide how much force is justified. According to the law, deadly force is allowed when an officer "reasonably believes" a suspect is attempting to escape with the use of a deadly weapon, or to kill or seriously injure the officer or others unless arrested.
The incident took place on November 7, 2024, when police responded to a domestic disturbance call. Once the officers determined they had the evidence needed to make an arrest, they found 34-year-old Maria Pike and her three-month-old baby, Destinii, behind a closet door.
Body camera footage shows the woman, still holding the baby, moving toward the officers. One of the two officers on the scene was unable to move away and fired four shots, striking both the mother and the baby. Both died of their gunshot wounds. Johnson said, "We recognize the profound loss suffered by the families and our entire community and frankly wish that circumstances were handled differently. But, our review of this incident is ethically and legally limited to determining only whether criminal charges are appropriate."
The press release from Johnson's office states that the evidence in the case shows the officer responded to an "immediate threat of deadly force when the woman approached the officers with the butcher knife; the suddenness of the attack — just seconds from the knife appearing to shots fired — left no time for a different response and the officer had no space to retreat."
Johnson said, "While this decision may not bring the closure many seek, especially given the weight of this tragedy, we are issuing this letter to uphold our commitment to transparency."
According to ABC News, Jackson County Prosecutor Melissa Johnson said that the officer's use of deadly force "falls within the protection of the law." Her office also noted that there was not enough evidence to conclusively prove the officer intentionally shot the infant. Prosecutors wrote in a statement, "The evidence shows that the shooting officer shot the civilian who was holding the infant."
Johnson said, "We did not arrive at this decision lightly. The loss of a young mother and her infant are devastating and tragic. However, as prosecutors, we are bound by an oath to apply the law and analyze facts without being guided by the sympathy we feel for all those impacted. Our purpose is to determine if what was done was reasonable, defined by Missouri law, and not whether it was the best course of action."
KCUR reported that Missouri law states that if an officer decides on the scene, based on the circumstances and facts, that an arrest is lawful, the officer can use their discretion to decide how much force is justified. According to the law, deadly force is allowed when an officer "reasonably believes" a suspect is attempting to escape with the use of a deadly weapon, or to kill or seriously injure the officer or others unless arrested.
The incident took place on November 7, 2024, when police responded to a domestic disturbance call. Once the officers determined they had the evidence needed to make an arrest, they found 34-year-old Maria Pike and her three-month-old baby, Destinii, behind a closet door.
Body camera footage shows the woman, still holding the baby, moving toward the officers. One of the two officers on the scene was unable to move away and fired four shots, striking both the mother and the baby. Both died of their gunshot wounds. Johnson said, "We recognize the profound loss suffered by the families and our entire community and frankly wish that circumstances were handled differently. But, our review of this incident is ethically and legally limited to determining only whether criminal charges are appropriate."
The press release from Johnson's office states that the evidence in the case shows the officer responded to an "immediate threat of deadly force when the woman approached the officers with the butcher knife; the suddenness of the attack — just seconds from the knife appearing to shots fired — left no time for a different response and the officer had no space to retreat."
Johnson said, "While this decision may not bring the closure many seek, especially given the weight of this tragedy, we are issuing this letter to uphold our commitment to transparency."
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
6 hours ago | Comment by: Michael
Tragic. And for the officer as well, for I am sure this weighs heavily on him. But good thing a) the bodycam showed what the stillframe above depicts and b) that this was in Missouri. If it had been in a crazy "blue" state, the officer might have been improperly charged.