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VIDEO: Pregnant woman shot 5 times by police officers after fleeing alleged car theft

Missouri police shot a pregnant woman for attempting to flee arrest after alleged armed carjacking

May 31, 2022 3:12pm

Updated: May 31, 2022 5:01pm

Missouri police shot a pregnant woman five times on Friday for attempting to flee arrest for an alleged armed carjacking, even though she had claimed to be unarmed. 

"She's shot! Oh my God, she's shot!" a witness shouted according to a video she captured after the police-involved shooting in Kansas City, the New York Post reported.

"What the fuck!" the witness said. "Oh my God, they shot her and still handcuffed her!"

Police confirmed to KCTV that Leonna Hale, 26, was shot by officers after they responded to reports of an armed carjacking at around 8:00 p.m. local time. 

Hale was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries but is now in stable condition, authorities told local media.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol explained to the media outlet that Hale was accompanied by a male driver who fled when officers stopped them.

The witness who filmed the incident also told the Kansas City Star that Hale tried to inform officers of her pregnancy. "She was going to cooperate, got scared, ran and got shot...it's not right!" a witness said.

She "raised her hands and was talking to them to show that she didn't have a gun in her hand," the witness continued. "One, two, three, four, and five. They fired five times."

Kansas City Police Department Acting Police Chief Joseph Mabin told KCTV that his officers "never want to be in these types of situations." 

"This is a holiday weekend. It's a time for friends. It's not a time for violence," he told the media on Friday.

The male driver was not immediately identified. He was arrested after a pursuit and transported to a hospital for an unrelated medical condition.

Fast-File Reporter

Marielbis Rojas

Marielbis Rojas is a Venezuelan journalist and communications professional with a degree in Social Communication from UCAB. She is a news reporter for ADN America.