Seattle Police Officers shot and killed 30-year-old Charleena Lyles in front of several of her children while responding to a burglary call Lyles made Sunday, June 18. 

According to initial police reports, two white North Precinct patrol officers responded to a report of a waiting burglary call in an apartment building located in the Sand Point neighborhood in Seattle. The officers arrived at the Magnuson Park apartment building around 10 a.m. that Sunday.

When officers went to the fourth floor, they confronted by Lyles who was allegedly wielding a knife. After firing off an undisclosed amount of rounds, officers reportedly administered first aid and performed CPR on the dying woman. The Seattle Fire Department came on scene moments later but she was declared deceased once they arrived. 

Lyles was several months pregnant and according to family members was struggling with mental-health issues for a year. The Seattle Times reports that the woman was concerned that local authorities would take away her four children.

“Why couldn’t they have Tased her?” Lyles’s sister, Monika Williams, told the Seattle Times. “They could have taken her down. I could have taken her down.”

Family members arrived at the scene an estimated two hours after shooting and could not believe that officers would have fired on the "tiny" woman. Per the outlet, the family strongly believes that race was a factor in the shooting.

There were children at the scene while the shooting occurred, “ but they were not injured,” the department said. “They are being cared for by other family members at this time.”

Both officers involved will be placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, in accordance with department protocol, according to the department's statement. 

Charleena Lylesseattle police shooting