Overview

• Maria Pike, 34, and her 2-month-old daughter Destinii Hope were fatally shot by police in Independence, Missouri, during a response to a reported family assault on November 7.
• Body camera footage released by police shows Pike holding her baby while allegedly retrieving a large kitchen knife and charging at officers with it raised over her head.
• Police stated that repeated attempts to de-escalate the situation and convince Pike to put down her baby were unsuccessful before the fatal shooting occurred.
• The footage, edited and released by the Independence Police Department, does not show the actual shooting or the moments immediately preceding it, raising questions about transparency.
• The three officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, and an external investigative team is reviewing the incident, as Pike's family questions the use of lethal force.