AN unarmed pregnant black woman was shot after police responding to reports of a carjacking fired five times, according to an eyewitness. Harrowing footage shows the scene after Missouri cops opened fire in Kansas City on Friday, hitting the victim identified as Leonna Hale. A bystander is heard screaming in the clip: “They shot her! […]
AN unarmed pregnant black woman was shot after police responding to reports of a carjacking fired five times, according to an eyewitness.
Harrowing footage shows the scene after Missouri cops opened fire in Kansas City on Friday, hitting the victim identified as Leonna Hale.
A bystander is heard screaming in the clip: “They shot her! Oh my God, they shot her.
“Oh my God, they shot her and they still putting her in handcuffs.
“She was gonna cooperate, she got scared, she ran down there and they shot her…it ain’t right.”
The horrified onlooker – named only as Shédanja – later said Hale had told cops she was unarmed and pregnant.
Shédanja said the woman admitted there was a gun in the car but that she was unarmed.
She also said Hale also told cops she could not get to the ground because she was pregnant.
As police approached, Hale is said to have started to run before she was shot at five times.
Shédanja told The Kansas City Star: “She did not pull out a weapon on them. She did not even have a stick in her hand.
“One, two, three, four, five. I remember it because it didn’t stop. They shot five times.
“I remember seeing her hit the ground and I froze.”
She added on Facebook: “She did run three steps away when she got scared at them all coming towards her with guns in her face.
“That’s when she was shot that many times.”
The clips shows Hale lying on the ground covered in what appears to be blood with her hands behind her back.
A male suspect also reported to have been in the car was found after trying to flee but was not injured.
Missouri State Highway Patrol has confirmed it is investigating.
They confirmed a handgun was found in the parking lot near the suspect’s vehicle.
Kansas City Police Department’s interim police chief, Joseph Mabin said: “We never want to be in these type of situations. Not the public, as a police department.
“Anytime it happens is a blight on our community.
“I want to ensure the public the scene is secure. There’s no ongoing threat. We’re committed to be 100% transparent.
“This is a holiday weekend. It’s time for friends. Not a time for violence.”
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Hale is reported to be in a stable condition in the hospital.
The US Sun has contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Kansas City Police Department for comment.
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