*Police bodycam footage has been released of the moment a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a Black mother in a domestic dispute.
We reported previously that Niani Finlayson, 27, called 911 on Dec 4 to report that “her boyfriend would not leave her alone and then screaming and sounds of a struggle could be heard,” the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said in a statement, according to The Guardian.
The family’s attorney said Finlayson was inside her apartment in Lancaster with her nine-year-old daughter when her ex-boyfriend injured her. Deputies arrived to hear screaming from inside the unit, LASD said.
LASD claims Deputy Ty Shelton opened fire because Finlayson had a knife and was threatening her boyfriend.
As ABC 7 reports, the sheriff’s department released the 911 audio, and Finlayson tells the dispatcher that the man inside her residence “won’t get of my house” and “he will not leave me alone.”
“I need the police here right now,” Finlayson says, “… cause he won’t get his hands off of me.”
In the bodycam footage, police try to kick open the apartment door before Finlayson eventually opens it, holding a kitchen knife. According to a statement released by the Sheriff’s Department, “Finlayson told deputies she was going to stab her boyfriend for pushing her daughter. Finlayson retreated into the apartment toward the area where her boyfriend was sitting. Deputies entered the apartment, where Finlayson grabbed her boyfriend while holding the knife in an apparent attempt to stab him, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
The footage shows Finlayson’s daughter inside the apartment when the shooting occurs.
“No! Why did you shoot?” the former boyfriend yells at the deputies after the shooting.
Finlayson was transported to the hospital, where she died, according to ABC 7.
“The Department released the body-worn camera footage ahead of the legal timeframe to demonstrate our commitment to transparency and the visual representation of the facts in this case,” L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement. “As the comprehensive review process continues the Department will gain additional insight into the incident with the goal of improving public safety.”
California law requires that body-worn camera footage from deputy shootings be released within 45 days.
According to reports, District Attorney George Gascon declined to bring charges against Shelton.
The victim’s family launched a fundraiser and filed a $30 million lawsuit against the county. They are calling for Shelton to be prosecuted.
“You have someone who is calling the police for help, and she gets killed by the police who she’s asking for assistance,” said family attorney Bradley Gage. “If you call the police for help, you think the officers are going to protect and serve you. You don’t expect them to hunt and kill you.”
READ MORE: Family of Niani Finlayson File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against LA County Sheriff’s Department
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