Pregnant Black Woman Shot Five Times By Police In Missouri

Police in Missouri shot and injured a pregnant Black woman during a traffic stop in Kansas City. The woman and the man with her were suspected of carjacking.

Witnesses caught the incident on video and claim the woman was shot five times as she tried to run away.

Witness Shédanja said she saw the incident happen Friday while she was on her way to get ice cream with her kids. She said she heard the officers yelling at the woman and the man to get out the vehicle.

Missouri State Highway Patrol said the car matched the description of a stolen one located at the Family Dollar.

Shédanja said the man ran off and officers followed him while the woman exited the car with her hands up. The officer told her to get on the ground, which she refused, explaining that she was pregnant. The officers approached her with guns drawn and after she took a few steps away, they opened fire five times.

“She did not pull out a weapon on them. She did not even have a stick in her hand,” said Shédanja.

“One, two, three, four, five. I remember it because it didn’t stop. They shot five times,” Shédanja said during a phone interview Saturday with The Star. “I remember seeing her hit the ground and I froze.”

Shédanja asked police several times why they shot the woman, but officers did not answer. She started recording the scene.

In the video she shared with The Star, the woman is seen lying on the ground with blood on her shirt. An officer appears to put her in handcuffs.

Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Andy Bell said it was unclear whether the woman had a firearm but a handgun was found in the area where she was shot. Bell declined to comment further on the situation but said there will be an investigation which is being led by state troopers.

The woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital. Reports say she is in stable condition.