Kenosha officer shoots armed, “suicidal” woman in driveway
By Mariana La Roche
Click here for updates on this story
KENOSHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — Independent investigators are reviewing a Kenosha Police officer’s decision to shoot a woman in a driveway Thursday afternoon.
Evidence markers and ballistic tracing tools stood out in the neighborhood near 71st Street and 27th Avenue where the sound of a single gunshot startled neighbors.
“It’s kind of strange for here. The biggest thing we’ve got is people blowing stop signs,” one neighbor said Thursday.
A press release from Kenosha Police Sergeant Austin Hancock said the initial call sent officers to the home because a woman was reported to have struck her child with a gun. Hancock said when officers arrived, a woman was in the driveway armed with a handgun. Officers tried to de-escalate the situation, he said.
“The suspect was not receptive and made numerous suicidal statements including threats to make officers shoot her,” Hancock said.
It was then, Hancock said, the woman “acted in a manner that showed intent to use that firearm on another person.”
One officer made the decision to shoot the woman.
“I heard a shot and I thought maybe the kids were shooting some fireworks or something,” another neighbor said.
“Maybe if she knew that she had a neighbor with an open heart, she wouldn’t have had to go through what she’s going through,” said neighbor Jason Witt.
The woman was expected to survive her injuries.
“I’m just glad that the lady’s not dead. She seems like a nice lady. I always say hi to her; she always waves. It’s just weird,” Witt added.
Aerial footage of the scene from News Chopper 12 showed what appeared to be a gun in the driveway of the home.
The statement from Hancock did not identify the woman or the officer by name. Hancock’s statement confirmed the officer has nine years of experience with Kenosha Police.
State law requires an independent law enforcement agency to investigate the use of force. Hancock said the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department will serve that role.
Generally use of force investigations can take weeks and months, depending on the evidence, and are reviewed by the district attorney with jurisdiction over the area where the use of force occurred.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
