Law enforcement officers in Independence, Missouri, responded to a 911 call with their guns drawn, shot and killed a 2-month old baby and then her screaming mother, on Nov. 7 and have yet to release body-camera footage or the identify of the officer who pulled the trigger, indicating a potential coverup, according to reporting by The Kansas City Defender.
Talisa Coombs called police after her son's girlfriend, Maria Pike, allegedly assaulted her. While outside, she told the cops there were no weapons present, just a 2-month-old baby named Destinii.
Police ran to the apartment with their guns drawn, according to security footage obtained by The Defender, and, despite Pike's boyfriend asking to communicate through the door to protect Destinii, the responding cops barged in.
Within minutes, the cops shot Destinii in the head, killing her instantly. When her mother, who was experiencing post-partum depression, jumped up and started screaming, "You killed her," an officer then shot her in the hip region and offered no medical assistance. She also died from her injury.
While the responding police claimed they tried to de-escalate the situation, security footage and testimonials say otherwise.
"They led with their guns the entire time," Bug, a neighbor in the family's apartment building, told The Defender. "From the moment they jumped out of their cars, it was as if they were ready to kill."
Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman told a different story during a "hasty" press conference, The Independent reported. Dustman claimed Maria was "armed with a knife," which her boyfriend and his mother do not think is true, and he refused to say whether his officers were the ones who killed Destinii, according to The Defender.
He also used the tragic incident to address the "broader issue of violence against children in our community," The Defender reported, without acknowledging it was law enforcement who shot the baby.
"She needed help," Felisha, Pike's boyfriend, told The Defender. "The cops weren't here to help her."
It's been two weeks since the double homicide and locals are demanding the department release both the body camera footage and the name of the officer who pulled the trigger. So far, their appeals have gone unanswered.
Originally published in Latin Times.
