Three police officers in the Texas city of Longview have been placed on leave after they gunned down a 17-year-old girl who came into the police station. The officers claim that she had been waving a weapon at them before they shot her. The young woman was hit four times and died as a result of her injuries.
The police were unwilling to reveal exactly what sort of weapon she was alleged to have brandished or why they felt their lives were threatened by the teen. The incident is being investigated by the Texas Rangers.
Their spokesperson has stated that they have a video of the shooting in their possession, but they have yet to release it to the public. Their official report confirms that the young woman entered the station at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, but few details beyond that have been made known. The young woman in question did not have a criminal record.
There are no reports that indicate why she went into the police station or why she might have been carrying a weapon. Although she had a history of depression, she had never been accused of violent action. She had been a resident of Longview for only a month at the time of her death. This shooting comes shortly after previous controversy surrounding that police department.
In 2014 the Longview police shot and killed two people, and one was a 15-year-old child. None of the police officers involved in either incident were indicted by the grand jury.