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US woman calls 911 over abuse from ex-boyfriend, cops shoot her dead
The woman's family have filed a case against the county and sheriff’s department on Thursday.
An American woman who had called 911 and sought police help in a case of domestic violence ended up losing her life after being fired upon by the cops. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident which took place on December 4, 2023, in Lancaster. Meanwhile, the woman's family have filed a case against the county and sheriff’s department on Thursday.
According to the police, the woman later identified as 27-year-old Niani Finlayson made the distress call and reported that her ex-boyfriend would not leave her alone. During the 911 call, cops heard screams and the sound of struggle. When the police reached the woman's house, they heard people arguing and shouting inside.
After the cops tried to make a forced entry into the apartment, Finlayson opened the door while being armed with a big kitchen knife. Finlayson then allegedly told the police that she was going to stab her ex-boyfriend for pushing her daughter. She then rushed inside where her ex-boyfriend was sitting. The cops followed Finlayson and found her grabbing her ex-boyfriend while holding the knife in an apparent attempt to stab him. It was then that cops opened gunfire in which Finlayson got shot.
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The cops claimed that they gave her first aid until Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics arrived and continued to provide medical aid. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Finlayson's daughter's version
Finlayson's daughter who witnessed her mother's shooting has alleged that the police lied about threat from her mother. "The police lied that my mom was threatening them," Xaisha, Finlayson's daughter said at a press conference on Thursday.
Interestingly, police officer Ty Shelton, involved in Finlayson's shooting, had allegedly killed a person named Michael Thomas under similar circumstances in 2020. Responding to a potential domestic violence call, Shelton and other cops got into an argument with Thomas.
