Death by Cop 2022-2024
Search fatalities
You can use any or all of the fields to refine the search.
Niani Finlayson
Gender : Female
Age : 27
Race : Black
Date : 12/04/2023
Location : East Avenue J-8
City : Lancaster
County : Los Angeles
State : California
Agency : LASD
Officer(s) :Ty Shelton
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Domestic violence victim killed by police during DV call
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
LASD responded to a domestic violence call in Lancaster on East Avenue J-8 where a woman reportedly was in an apartment with a “large kitchen knife” during an apparent mental health event. LASD deputies allege that she verbally threatened a male in the home and therefore, deputies shot and killed her. She died with several bullets in her body.
LASD had arrived after Niani herself had called them because her boyfriend was attacking her. She needed help but because police allegedly found her with a knife in self-defense, they apparently misunderstood the situation and killed her upon seeing her. Eyewitnesses said her boyfriend threw her daughter against the wall which is when she picked up a knife to defend her and was killed by the intruding deputy. She was no threat to the deputy according to eyewitness family members.
On December 29, 2023, BWC footage was released by LASD of what turned out to be a heavily redacted piece of BWC showing officers arriving, not seeming to understand who is victim and who is aggressor, seeing an upset woman screaming holding a knife to ward off a violent boyfriend. An officer is seen charging into the apartment which escalated the situation more and the escalation leading to a fatal shooting. Finlayson was killed in front of her young daughter. From entry until her death, only a few seconds went by.
Meanwhile, the shooter deputy who killed her, Ty Shelton, had killed someone under very similar circumstances previously. His first victim had been Michael Thomas, a 61-year-old man involved in only a noisy nonviolent argument. LASD arrived and deputy Ty Shelton attempted to forcibly enter the apartment with Shelton citing the Fourth Amendment and denying police access. Shelton reportedly feared police, stating “I am now in fear for my life. You guys … just killed somebody.” Thomas’ family spoke up after Finlayson was killed and reminded the public that after the first murder, they had protested because they were afraid that Deputy Shelton would kill again. He did.
SOURCE LINKS :
Bodycam video released:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPKSENNLlKM
https://abc7.com/lancaster-deputy-shooting-woman-killed-domestic-violence/14144475/
