Cop kills suspected shoplifter: Outrage as scissors-having Navajo woman shot by officer - TomoNews
- 8 years ago
WINSLOW, ARIZONA — Newly released police bodycam video shows the fatal shooting of a 27-year-old Navajo woman by a Winslow, Arizona police officer. The woman was suspected of shoplifted and had been holding a pair of scissors.
The shooting took place on March 27, when police officer Austin Shipley and a colleague responded to a shoplifting call at a convenience store near Williamson Avenue.
After arriving at the scene, officer Shipley moved to take Loreal Tsingine into custody as she fit the description of the suspect.
Tsingine was pushed to the ground. As she returned to her feet, the officer noticed she was holding a pair of silver scissors.
The pair got into a tussle and Tsingine fell to the ground a second time. Still holding the small pair of scissors, she moved toward officer Shipley.
Officer Shipley opened fire. Five bullets tore into Loreal Tsingine’s body. As she lay dying on the ground, Shipley kept his service weapon trained on her. “She came at me with those scissors”, he told his colleague.
Public outrage quickly followed. Prosecutors have said they found no evidence of criminal conduct by officer Shipley.
While his decision to shoot might strictly have been legal, do American police officers need new rules concerning the use of deadly force? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Despite the public outrage, the prosecutors said they found no evidence of criminal conduct by officer Shipley. He will remain on paid administrative leave until an internal-affairs investigation to be conducted by the Mesa Police Department.
The shooting took place on March 27, when police officer Austin Shipley and a colleague responded to a shoplifting call at a convenience store near Williamson Avenue.
After arriving at the scene, officer Shipley moved to take Loreal Tsingine into custody as she fit the description of the suspect.
Tsingine was pushed to the ground. As she returned to her feet, the officer noticed she was holding a pair of silver scissors.
The pair got into a tussle and Tsingine fell to the ground a second time. Still holding the small pair of scissors, she moved toward officer Shipley.
Officer Shipley opened fire. Five bullets tore into Loreal Tsingine’s body. As she lay dying on the ground, Shipley kept his service weapon trained on her. “She came at me with those scissors”, he told his colleague.
Public outrage quickly followed. Prosecutors have said they found no evidence of criminal conduct by officer Shipley.
While his decision to shoot might strictly have been legal, do American police officers need new rules concerning the use of deadly force? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Despite the public outrage, the prosecutors said they found no evidence of criminal conduct by officer Shipley. He will remain on paid administrative leave until an internal-affairs investigation to be conducted by the Mesa Police Department.