Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot by Police in Case of Mistaken Identity Sparks Outrage and Lawsuit
In a shocking incident that has ignited widespread outrage and triggered a lawsuit, a pregnant woman was tragically shot and killed by police in a case of mistaken identity. The incident occurred in August 2021 in Colorado when officers from the Arvada Police Department fatally shot Destinee Thompson, mistaking her for a robbery suspect as she fled in her minivan. Thompson’s family has since filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against five officers present during the incident.
The family alleges that Thompson’s race, being part Hispanic and part Native American, played a role in her being targeted by the police. They argue that if she were an affluent white person, the officers would never have stopped her. Siddhartha Rathod, an attorney representing the family, stated, If this was an affluent white person getting into her vehicle, they would never have stopped her.
The Arvada Police Department, however, has refuted these claims and stated that the events surrounding Thompson’s death have been mischaracterized by the family’s lawyer. The department plans to mount a vigorous legal defense.
According to reports, the incident unfolded when officers responded to a report of a woman who had stolen from a Target and threatened an employee with a knife. Thompson, who was leaving a nearby motel to meet her stepmother, happened to match some aspects of the suspect’s description. Although she did not exactly fit the description, police decided to stop her to rule her out as a suspect.
Thompson refused to cooperate, repeatedly stating that she wasn’t the person they were looking for and did not have identification to show them. The police spokesperson justified the officers’ actions, claiming they had reasonable suspicion to believe Thompson may have been involved in the robbery and were therefore justified in contacting her.
Tragically, as Thompson sat in her minivan surrounded by five officers, she locked the doors and refused to get out, maintaining her innocence. One officer smashed the passenger window with a baton, and Thompson, in a state of panic, backed up her car, hitting a police vehicle. She then drove forward, trying to escape, at which point an officer began shooting. The officer believed another officer had been struck by the car or was being dragged under it, leading him to fatally shoot Thompson. Sadly, her unborn child also perished.
The family vehemently disputes the officer’s account, claiming that the officer who fired should have been able to see that the other officer was not hit or dragged by the car. They argue that none of the other officers felt it necessary to use deadly force, and they view the incident as nothing short of the murder of a pregnant woman.
The Arvada Police Department stands by its officers’ actions, asserting that Thompson posed an imminent threat to the life of another officer, which justified the use of deadly force. In support of their stance, they also mention that Thompson had warrants out for her arrest and that illicit drugs were found in her system during the autopsy.
Thompson’s family and their lawyer dismiss these claims, emphasizing that the officers did not know about Thompson’s background at the time of the incident and that she was only stopped because she did not fit the description of the shoplifting suspect.
The grieving father, Francis Thompson, described his daughter as a compassionate individual who always sought to help others and had a zest for life. He believes that the police department is attempting to justify her tragic death by highlighting her past. He continues to grapple with immense grief, finding it difficult to find purpose in many things.
The case has sparked a significant outcry and has now become the subject of a lawsuit, demanding justice for Destinee Thompson and her unborn child. As the legal battle unfolds, questions surrounding police conduct, racial profiling, and the use of deadly force continue to be raised. The outcome of this case will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for police accountability and the pursuit of justice.
