15 Unarmed Black Women Who Died at the Hands of Police

1 of 15 Facebook

Age: 28

Location: Virginia Beach, Va.

Died: September 5, 2015

What Happened: Navy veteran India Kager and her four-month-old son were riding in a car with Kager's boyfriend, 35-year-old Angelo Delano Perry, who was recently released from prison and wanted in connection with a homicide. Police surrounded Perry's car at a gas station and began shooting after Perry allegedly opened fire. Both Kager and Perry were fatally shot, but the infant, who police were unaware was in the vehicle, was uninjured. The four officers involved are on administrative duty. Kager was unarmed. [Source]

2 of 15 AP Photo/Cleveland Police Department

Age: 30

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Died: November 29, 2012

What Happened: A car chase began after police officers believed that Williams and her friend, Timothy Russell, had fired shots at them from their car. The high-speed chase ended with officers firing 137 rounds into Russell's car, killing both Williams and Russell. After firing hundreds of bullets, Patrolman Michael Brelo leapt onto the hood of Russell's vehicle and fired an additional 15 shots at the two from close range. Last year, a grand jury indicted Brelo on two counts of manslaughter, but a trial date has not been set. Each family has received a $1.5 million settlement from the city of Cleveland. [Source]

UPDATE: On Saturday May 23, 2015, Officer Michael Brelo was found not guilty of manslaughter for firing 15 rounds at Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell who were unarmed. 

3 of 15 Fairfax County Police Department

Age: 37

Location: Fairfax County, GA

Died: February 3, 2015

What Happened: McKenna, a mother who suffered from schizophrenia, was placed in custody after police received a call that she was behaving erratically in public. She was kept in the Fairfax County Jail for days, where her schizophrenia worsened because she was not receiving her medication. After one episode when she was unable to obey officers' orders, police shocked her four times using a 50,000 volt taser. She went into cardiac arrest and later died. In April, her death was ruled "death due to excited delirium." No officers were charged. [Source]

4 of 15 NewsNet5

Age: 37

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Died: November 13, 2014

What Happened: Anderson was violently "taken down" by police officers after her uncle called 911 asking for medics—he specifically asked for an ambulance—to help him control his niece, who suffered from schizophrenia. In lieu of an ambulance, 911 operators sent police, who used violent maneuvers to get Anderson into a police car. The moves caused Anderson, who had a 16-year-old daughter, to collapse, and an ambulance was called only after she went limp. Shortly before she died at a nearby hospital, she could be heard reciting The Lord's Prayer. Her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. [Source]

5 of 15 tumblr

Age: 40

Location: Ann Arbour, Michigan

Died: November 9, 2014

What Happened: Police operators received a 911 call from Victor Stephens, Rosser's boyfriend, who said that the two were fighting and requested police officers to escort her from his house. When officers arrived, Stephens said that Rosser, who reportedly suffered from a mental illness, was brandishing a fish knife. Officers simultaneously tased and shot her. She died from a chest wound. No officers were charged, and a state prosecutor recorded the death as "justifiable homicide." [Source]

6 of 15

Age: 47

Location: Bastrop, Texas

Died: February 16, 2014

What Happened: Officers were called to a home after Smith reported that two men were fighting over money. When Deputy Daniel Willis arrived, he saw Smith waiting at the doorway. He ordered her to step outside of the home, but as soon as she did, he shot her twice, killing her. Police investigators originally said that Smith was holding a gun, but they later retracted that statement and said that she wasn't holding anything that resembled a weapon. Willis was indicted for murder last summer. The family is seeking $5,000,000 in damages. [Source]

7 of 15 Facebook

Age: 34

Location: Washington D.C.

Died: October 3, 2013

What Happened: After driving from her home in Connecticut to Washington D.C. with her 13-month-old daughter in the car, Carey reportedly drove to the White House and failed to stop at the security checkpoint. Reports say that she "rammed" barriers outside of the White House, but according to witnesses, she was trying to drive around the gates that security officials were trying to use to barricade her. As she drove away, officers chased her and when she reversed her car into a police cruiser, officer fired multiple rounds into her car, shooting her 26 times. Her daughter was unharmed. Recently obtained police investigation documents blame federal cops for her death. [Source]

8 of 15

Age: 27

Location: Houston, Texas

Died: December 6, 2012

What Happened: After Frey and two of her friends were accused of shoplifting at a Walmart by Officer Louis Campbell, the women ran into the parking lot and entered a car. Campbell ordered them to get out of the car, and when they attempted to drive away, Campbell fired two shots, striking Frey in the neck. Frey died at a nearby apartment complex. There were two children in the car at the time of the incident (they were not Frey's). Frey's family has sued Walmart. [Source]

9 of 15 twitter

Age: 17

Location: Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

Died: December 2, 2012

What happened: Police were responding to reports of an outdoor fight when a squad car was hit by Harris, who was reportedly fleeing the original disturbance. Harris hit another car, and struck a bystander, who was not seriously injured. Police then opened fire on the car, fatally striking Harris. The officer who killed her, Travis Guillot, said that he feared for his safety. He was not indicted by a grand jury. [Source]

10 of 15 AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Age: 35

Location: Los Angeles

Died: July 22, 2012

What Happened: Officers arrived at Thomas' home investigating reports that she had abandoned her children at a police station. As cops took her to a police car, Officer Mary O'Callaghan began kicking Thomas in the stomach, groin and throat. An ambulance was called after Thomas lost consciousness in the back of the squad car. She died at a nearby hospital. An autopsy showed cocaine in her system, which, it said, was a "major factor" in her death, but the officer's actions could have contributed as well. O'Callaghan is currently on trial on felony charges. [Source]

11 of 15 justice4shantel.com

Age: 23

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Died: June 14, 2012

What Happened: Brooklyn police officers chased Davis, who was driving a car that she had allegedly stolen weeks earlier. The chase ended when Davis crashed into a minivan. Davis tried exiting by the passenger door, but a police officer was blocking her. According to reports, she climbed back into the driver's seat to put the car in reverse as police detective Phil Atkins, holding a gun, opened the driver's door, reached across her for the gear shift and fired a single round into her chest. She died at a nearby hospital. Witnesses say that Davis was not attempting to drive away again when officers shot her. Atkins was previously accused in seven different lawsuits of using force against individuals without reasonable suspicion. [Source]

12 of 15

Age: 49

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Died: April 20, 2012

What Happened: Edwards' boyfriend woke up one night to see that his girlfriend had taken his car without his permission. He reported her to police officers, also mentioning that there was a gun in the glove compartment. Police officers tracked her down and ordered her out of the car. Police reports say that when she stepped out, she was holding the gun, but witnesses say that that is untrue. Police officers fired 15 bullets at Edwards, killing her. Edwards family sued the police department and the five officers involved. [Source]

13 of 15 Facebook

Age: 22

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Died: March 22, 2012

What Happened: Off-duty Chicago police officer Dante Servin called 911 one night to report a group of individuals "drinking, fighting and smoking drugs." When he stopped to confront them, he claims that he saw one of the individuals, Antonio Cross, pull a gun from his waistband. Servin, who had turned to face the opposite direction, blindly fired shots over his shoulder into the group, striking Cross in the hand and Boyd in the head. Boyd died the next day at an area hospital. Investigators never found any gun that belonged to Cross; they only found his cell phone that had fallen out of his hands at the scene. Servin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and reckless discharge of a firearm, but last month, a judge cleared him of all charges. [Source]

14 of 15 Facebook

Age: 30

Location: New York City, New York

Died: March 15, 2012

What Happened: Francis' sister called authorities one night, asking that they send someone to help subdue Francis, who suffered from schizophrenia. Once police arrived, they chased Francis through the home until they cornered her in a basement bedroom. They held her facedown on a mattress, suffocating her, and punched her while trying to handcuff her. When she stopped breathing, they took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead a few hours later. Her death was ruled a homicide. The family sued the city and last year received a $1.1 million settlement. [Source]

15 of 15 AP Photo/Family Photo via The The Detroit News

Age: 7

Location: Detroit, Michigan

Died: May 16, 2010

What Happened: Police raided Aiyana Jones' house late one night in pursuit of her uncle, who was a suspect in a murder case. Before entering the home, police threw a flashing grenade inside, igniting a blanket that was covering Aiyana while she slept on the couch. Immediately upon entering the home, Officer Joseph Weekley fired a single bullet at Aiyana, which pierced her in the head. The raid was being filmed for a reality show on A&E. Earlier this year, all charges were dropped against the police officers involved. [Source]