This is Karen Day-Jackson:
Karen was 45 years old when police were called to a home in Witchita, Kansas, on July 10th, 2012. Police allege that when they arrived Karen had a knife in one hand a fire igniter in the other. She reportedly stabbed herself in the chest while yelling at the officers to shoot her. Police claim they yelled at Karen from the other side of the street to drop her weapon but once she closed to 5 feet of distance they fired upon her. Karen was shot four times at the scene in front of her daughter and passed away.
Karen was visiting the home of her husband whom the court had ordered she have no contact with. Because of the order, her husband called the police to have her removed. Family reports that Karen struggled with bi-polar disorder and alcohol dependency. Her family reports that Karen is not prone to violence or suicide and was disabled to the point she couldn't lift her grandchildren. They believe if police had used less-lethal means to subdue her like a taser, she may still be alive. May Karen's memory be a blessing. Police agreed the amount of shots Karen took is disturbing, but feel officers acted with reasonable force.
Sources:
Disclaimer: Justice for Native People documents instances of police violence as the rates of death in these interactions exceeds those of any other community. Indigenous women are 38 times more likely to die at the hands of police than white women, and Indigenous men are 14 times more likely. JFNP documents these instances to understand the circumstances surrounding them in the hopes that policing procedures can be evaluated and future interactions can be improved.
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