Native American Woman Killed By Police; Ruled Justified

Prompting some to ask whether the use of force has to do with racial bias against Native Americans, body-camera footage released on Thursday shows an Arizona police officer drawing his gun on a petite woman armed with a small pair of scissors. Native Americans are disproportionately killed by police nationwide.

After officers suspected her of shoplifting in a local store and confronted her, 27 year old Loreal Tsingine, was shot and killed by Winslow police officer Austin Shipley in late March.

In the video, after police shove her to the ground, Tsingine gets up and walks toward officer Shipley with a small pair of medical scissors in her left hand, and another officer quickly approaches her from behind. Shipley draws his gun and directs it at Tsingine, and the footage is cut off before he fires the fatal shot.

Last Friday the shooting was ruled justified by the Maricopa County attorney’s office.

http://www.allmediany.com/news/70978-native-american-woman-killed-by-police-ruled-justified