Many questions remain unanswered following the shooting of a pregnant Charleena Lyles this week in Seattle as demonstrators took to the streets in protest on Thursday.
“Say her name!” one man shouted.
“Charleena!” the crowd responded.
Lyles, a 30-year-old pregnant mother of four was shot when the police were responding to her call of a burglary.
They encountered Lyles holding a knife, and shot her twice. She died on the scene.
Her four children were in the apartment at the time of the shooting.
Her family and community members blasted the cops’ decision to use deadly force: “Why couldn’t they have Tased her?” said Lyles’ sister, Monika Williams. “They could have taken her down. I could have taken her down. There’s no reason for her to be shot in front of her babies. The Seattle police shot the wrong one today.”
“When we call police for help, we expect protection. We expect safety.,” James Bible, an attorney representing family members of Lyles, told CNN affiliate KIRO.
Lyles’ family says the she was suffering from mental illness.
The Seattle police have been releasing video and audio files online throughout the week, including the 911 call and a video recording from her hallway. They said it was “in the interest of continued transparency and in response to ongoing requests.”