27-year-old Niani Finlayson called 911 to report that she was under attack by a former boyfriend, but was herself was shot dead by the Los Angeles county Sheriff's deputy who turned up. The department is so far refusing to release bodycam footage of the killing. Moreover, it's the second time the deputy, named as Ty Shelton, has shot dead a 911 caller after arriving at the scene.
"The police lied that my mom was threatening them," Xaisha said at a press conference on Thursday alongside her grandparents, calling for Shelton to be prosecuted. "She was my best friend. She was always there for me. It's unbelievable that she's gone and she's not coming back. I miss my mom." The girl said her two-year-old sister continues to ask where their mother is and she doesn't know how to respond. …
Previously, Shelton killed Michael Thomas, 61, on 11 June 2020 in a similar case. Shelton had been responding to a potential domestic violence call and when the deputies arrived, they demanded he open the door, officials said. Thomas's girlfriend later said she had been having a verbal argument with Thomas, who had been unarmed, and that he had tried to stop the officers from entering, citing the fourth amendment. Thomas had also been afraid police would shoot him, his family said, and officials later confirmed Thomas had said: "I am now in fear for my life. You guys … just killed somebody."
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is notorious for internal gangs that operate much like those on the street, complete with tattoos, criminal enterprises, and tell-tale names like "The Executioners." But the danger of calling 911 is a nationwide problem.
