Bodycam and detailed timeline of events of the police shooting of baby Destinii Hope and her mother Maria Pike in Independence, MO on 11/07/2024
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On November 7, 2024 at 13:55 PM, officers from the Independence Police Department arrived at the Oval Spring Apartments at 16801 E. Larkspur Lane, Independence, Missouri. Talisa Coombs, the paternal grandmother of baby Destinii Hope, had contacted the Independence Police Department to express concerns about her daughter-in-law, Maria Pike, who had been struggling with postpartum depression.
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Maria “Masha” Pike
Talisa Coombs expressed her concern to police that Pike was allegedly “unfit” to care for her baby Destinii and Coombs reported an altercation that had allegedly occurred prior to her calling police. She had announced a visit to her son but had reportedly ended up demanding surrender of baby Destinii to her custody, alleging Maria to be an unfit parent due to postpartum depression. She had reportedly made similar claims on previous occasion. During this occasion, Coombs alleged that Maria had attacked her during this visit at the apartment with both parents of Destinii being present. Talisa Coombs then contacted 911 and requested police intervention, stating her intention to press charges against Pike while announcing that she also planned to seek custody of the infant.
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Paternal grandmother Talisa Coombs
The Independence Police Department responded to the scene to investigate the alleged altercation and review the concerns and ensure everyone’s well-being.
Coombs, Independence PD on 11/07/2024, BWC still
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When police arrived at the Oval Spring apartment complex, they first spoke with Talisa Coombs, who was sitting on the curb outside of the home. She informed them about the altercation with Maria Pike and her concerns while her husband Mitchell Holder chimed in that “they beat her up.” Police then approached the upstairs door of the home, where they were met by Maria’s partner and father of the child, Mitchell Holder Jr., whom police convinced to let them into the home for a welfare check. Independence PD then for so far undisclosed reasons also called the SWAT team to the home to assist in resolving the standoff. These events have all been edited out of the BWC and police narrative offered by authorities so far.
Independence PD SWAT, archive photo
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When the SWAT team arrived, an unknown number of officers entered and found Maria Pike hiding in a closet with her baby. Perhaps due to being under the impression that her mother-in-law and perhaps also police were attempting to take her baby away based upon the mother-in-law’s allegations, she was found in a defensive stance in the closet, tightly holding her baby.
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After the 11-minute gap which contained most of the interaction between police and Pike which was inexplicably removed by police, bodycam footage after this 11-minute standoff shows Maria Pike coming out of the closet sitting on the bed, still clutching her baby in the bedroom while the baby’s father sat on the bed. The footage cuts off there, and all police involvement inside the apartment is edited out including the moments before the shooting, the shooting itself and the aftermath.
After the 11-minute gap which contained most of the interaction between police and Pike which was inexplicably removed by police, bodycam footage resumes, showing Maria Pike coming out of the closet sitting on the bed, still clutching Destinii in the bedroom while the baby’s father sat on the bed.
At this point, Maria is seen on BWC to pick up a kitchen knife from a nearby night stand and hold it up while clutching the baby. She is still clutching the baby at waist level with her left arm, while raising the knife above her head with the right hand.
Not shown are the SWAT and regular officers with rifles and guns pointed at her and what their actions were prior to her raising the knife. The bodycam ends with no footage provided that captures the moments leading to the shooting. Family members confirmed that baby Destinii was shot in the head, though exact details on the number of shots fired by SWAT remain unclear, as police have not answered those questions. Two bullet holes were reportedly pointed out in the wall by the father.
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After the shooting, mother-in-law Talisa Coombs expressed to media that all she wanted was for Maria Pike to be arrested and further stated that if they had just given her the baby, “nothing would have happened.” The rights and needs of Maria Pike as primary custodial parent seem to be ignored throughout this narrative.
Family Photo
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ROLE OF THE BABY’S FATHER
Mitchell Holder, Jr., the baby’s father is not observed to be supportive of his mother’s claims and demands during the documented exchanges. He was inside of the apartment with his partner and baby throughout was in the bedroom on the bed with his back turned somewhat away, only briefly turning toward events in the last seconds of the video, presumably just moments prior to the double fatal shooting.
Maria “Masha” Pike
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MARIA PIKE
Maria Pike and her twin sister were Russian immigrants. Known for her loving and protective attitude toward children, Maria was deeply devoted to her child, often seen prioritizing their safety and well-being above all else. Community members described her as an attentive mother who connected well with her own child and others.
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Maria had no criminal record or prior Child Protective Services involvement. The only allegations against her on public record came from her mother-in-law, Talisa Coombs, who allegedly desired to take custody of Maria’s baby, culminating in police involvement and a fatal shooting.
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Maria, by statements by her partner and her twin sister, reportedly suffered from postpartum depression, potentially also exacerbated by an ongoing conflict with her confrontational mother-in-law. She is not seen being anything other than protective of her baby upon review of all available materials. No evidence exists of aggression from Maria toward anyone outside of Coombs’ claims.
Independence PD chief Adam Dustman
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POLICE RESPONSE AND BODYCAM DISCREPANCIES
Three weeks after the fatal shooting, Independence Police Department at long last after a lengthy silence announced a “critical incident briefing” with only 75 minutes’ prior notice on Facebook. This announcement, made on the afternoon before Thanksgiving on only Facebook, excluded the customary press notifications, raises concerns about deliberate efforts by Independence PD to minimize public scrutiny. The briefing released the heavily edited body camera footage linked below. In terms of evidence presented by police, the BWC is something of a forensic nothingburger with all critical footage except the brief details that support the police’s defense of own actions having been edited out by police. Numerous BWCs exist from all patrol as well as SWAT officers but were not presented by police.
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Key footage was conspicuously absent, including the 11-minute segment of all events leading to the shooting and the aftermath. The video ends the moment Maria Pike, 34, raises a knife, omitting the most critical events: what happened during the 11 minutes just prior that escalated events, what officers were doing and how they approached her at that moment, how many officers were present, how many guns were pointed at her, if any officers were advancing toward her with weapons, their proximity when she raised the knife toward them while clutching her child.
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Four minutes of body camera footage were released, but the largest and most critical portions of police interaction with her preceding the shooting remain missing. These omissions eliminate critical context regarding the officers’ actions and the circumstances leading to the fatal encounter.
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The redactions also obscure the police’s role and fail to clarify their decision-making or immediate threat perception. The timing and presentation of the briefing — during a holiday with minimal notice — coupled with the censorship of crucial footage, suggest an attempt to continue stonewalling and downplaying police’s full role in the incident.
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MILITARIZED SWAT RESPONSES IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISES
The use of SWAT teams in situations involving domestic disturbances and family custody disputes, particularly when mental health crises are involved, is very common, frequently fatal and highly debated, particularly in familial custody disputes. Examples of SWAT engaged in fatal shootings during mental health crisis events can be found here while our database also documents a total of 134 fatalities caused directly (shootings) or indirectly (suicide under police duress) here.
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The statistics comparing fatalities in police vs. mental health professional-led interventions are not always directly comparable, but evidence points to fewer deaths when mental health professionals handle the situation independently. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and other advocates argue that mental health crises should primarily be addressed by mental health experts rather than the police.
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THE INVESTIGATORS
The Eastern Jackson County Police Involved Incident Team, with the Blue Springs Police Department leading the investigation, is currently handling the case.
SOURCE LINKS:
- https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/family-of-maria-pike-says-police-used-excessive-force-during-deadly-encounter
- https://www.fox4kc.com/news/bodycam-video-shows-police-approaching-maria-pike-before-she-was-fatally-shot
- https://www.kmbc.com/article/independence-police-department-releases-bodycam-video-of-fatal-shooting-of-maria-pike/11854005
- https://www.kmbc.com/article/independence-pd-releases-dramatic-bodycam-video/14952422
- https://www.kmbc.com/article/independence-pd-body-cams-implemented/20534047
- https://www.foxnews.com/us/family-of-woman-shot-dead-by-police-says-it-was-avoidable-incident
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/maria-pike-police-shooting-independence-video-b2380848.html
- https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article2334348.html
- https://www.kmbc.com/article/death-of-maria-pike-investigated-by-independent-agency/18449395
- https://www.npr.org/2024/11/28/maria-pike-investigation-update
- https://www.kmbc.com/article/maria-pike-family-investigation-released-bodycam-video/12420945
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/video-shows-woman-fatally-shot-police-independence-ks-home-11222346
- https://www.cbsnews.com/kansas-city-maria-pike-shooting-investigation-continues/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maria-pike-police-shooting-missouri-update/21434567
- https://www.theguardian.com/america-news/2024/nov/28/independence-police-body-cam-video-maria-pike
- https://www.kmbc.com/article/bodycam-police-video-independence-kansas-video-report/14920833
- https://www.newsweek.com/bodycam-video-pike-police-video-deadly-shooting-1128-2024-30990004
- https://www.usatoday.com/news/maria-pike-death-questions-remain-kansas-city
- https://www.cbsnews.com/coverage-bodycam-video-shows-deadly-encounter-maria-pike/
- https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/pike-maria-police-investigation
- Body cam video released by Independence PD on 11/28/2024:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImB6Hz8i1jg
Last update: 11/28/2024
