According to an eyewitness, a pregnant woman in Kansas City, Missouri was shot multiple times by police as she fled while unarmed.
“They shot five times,” the witness, who only gave her first name, Shedanja, told the Kansas City Star. “I remember seeing her hit the ground and I froze.”
The injured Black woman was suspected of committing a carjacking along with a male accomplice. KCTV has identified her as 26-year-old Leonna Hale. She is still alive despite suffering severe injuries and being hospitalized in stable condition.
Friday, Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) officers challenged the two suspects in the parking area of a Family Dollar store, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP).
The male suspect reportedly exited the vehicle and fled, whereas Ms. Hale remained and raised her hands.
“She did not pull out a weapon on them,” Shedanja told the Star. “She did not even have a stick in her hand.”
According to Shedanja, the police recurrently ordered Ms. Hale to get on the ground, but she tried to explain that she was pregnant and unable to comply.
During their heated exchange, Ms. Hale informed police that a firearm was in the car. Eventually, she retreated toward a fence, at which point the police reportedly approached her with drawn weapons.
The woman, who appeared to be in a panic, finally turned and allegedly attempted to flee. Shedanja claimed that the police shot her after only three steps.
“One, two, three, four, five,” the witness recalled, counting the gunshots. “I remember it because it didn’t stop.”
