‘We’re hurt really bad.' Family of Independence mother, baby killed in police shooting demand answers
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - The aunt and grandmother of a 2-month-old infant who died in a police shooting continue to question how it happened.
They said the infant, Destinii, was being held by her mother, Maria when the shots were fired. Maria also died in the incident.
“We’re hurt,” said Felisha Holder, Destinii’s aunt. “Hurt real bad. I don’t get to hold her in my arms anymore. I want justice for her.”
Holder said she re the first time she met her niece.
“I came over to my mom’s to visit her,” said Holder. “I picked her up and I said ‘Hey, Destinii, Aunt Felisha is here’ and she just smiled and smiled.”
The family confirmed Independence police officers were responding to a domestic disturbance. Holder said Maria was getting violent with her grandmother, Talisa Coombs. She said officers knew there was a baby in the apartment and her brother told her Maria was holding Destinii when officers fired.
“He didn’t negotiate,” said Holder. “He could have pepper sprayed, he could have tased, he didn’t do any of that. I don’t care what the circumstances were, there was a baby in that woman’s arms and that woman had mental issues. She is mentally unstable. They could have had a professional there, to negotiate the situation so the baby could be safe. They called the cops thinking they were going to protect baby Destinii, but instead, they killed her.”
Holder said Maria had a history of mental illness and was diagnosed with postpartum depression. Coombs said she went over to her son and Maria’s apartment almost every day to make sure Destinii was OK.
Coombs said she wouldn’t have called the police if she had known this would be the outcome.
“They asked me if I wanted to press charges, and I did,” said Coombs. “I didn’t tell them to go up there and shoot them. You don’t shoot anyone with a child. They could have done anything else, but they wanted to choose to kill my granddaughter and her mother. If I had known that baby was in danger with the police officers, then I would have never said anything.”
Holder has started a GoFundMe to pay for funeral expenses for Destinii.
Authorities haven’t released much information regarding the officer-involved shooting, but last week stated two people—a child and a woman who was reportedly armed with a knife—were dead.
In a press conference last Friday, Chief Adam Dustman stood by his officer’s decision. Three officers, including the officer who fired their gun, are on istrative leave while the investigation continues.
This Friday, memorial vigil for the child who ed away. The vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the public is invited to attend. The memorial will include candles and a balloon release in front of the building where the situation unfolded.
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