Another Pregnant Black Woman Shot and Killed By Police After She Called 911 For Help

Seattle, WA — Seattle police officers have reportedly shot and killed Charleena Lyles, a 30-year old pregnant woman, in her home in front of her children. Charleena had called 911 and reported an attempted burglarly into her apartment. When police arrived, they claimed that she displayed a knife, prompting them to open fire. Charleeena was Black, and the two officers are white.

Relatives say that Charleena was 3 month pregnant and had a history of mental health struggles, and expressed their frustration about why she was shot and killed. “Why couldn’t they have Tased her?” Lyles’s sister, Monika Williams, told the Seattle Times. “They could have taken her down. I could have taken her down.”

Her sister continued, “There’s no reason for her to be shot in front of her babies. The Seattle police shot the wrong one today.”

Other family members told the Seattle Times that they believe her race was a factor in her death.

Ed Murray, the Mayor of Seattle, released a statement saying the shooting in Seattle was “a tragedy for all involved.” He promised a full and thorough investigation, citing “historic police reforms” that are “in place to address such crises.”

A growing trend?

According to the Washington Post, Charleena is the third black woman to be killed by police officers in the United States this year, and the second one who was pregnant.

The other was Alteria Woods of Gilford, Florida who was shot and killed during a SWAT team raid on her boyfriend’s apartment back in March. She was four months pregnant when Indian River County Sheriff’s deputies targeted what they suspected to be a drug den.

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