A man called 911 looking to get help for his wife who was in distress, but a police officer who arrived to the scene shot and killed her instead. The Austin, Texas man told police that he wanted a mental health officer to come and help his wife, and that the situation had become dangerous after she picked up a weapon, the Washington Post reports.
The Washington Post further reports that the woman, 26-year-old Micah Dsheigh Jester, had a BB gun raised and pointed at the officers when they arrived.
In a statement made to the press Monday, Assistant Chief Troy Gay said that Jester told police, "Shoot me. Shoot me. Kill me," when they arrived. Gay further stated that officers repeatedly told Jester to drop the BB gun, but she did not comply, and instead slowly moved closer to the officers.
Both officers present fired at and struck Jester, who fell to the ground, but was not yet dead. Gay said that at this point, Jester still had "access to the weapon," and was still "a threat." Other officers arrived to the scene and attempted to approach Jester to take the BB gun, while Gay says she was still asking officers to shoot her.
Another officer fired more shots, after which Jester was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to the Washington Post. Gay told the press Monday that Jester is white, and that there will be a dual investigation into the shooting. He added that there is audio of the shooting, but no video.
