Three officers involved in the shooting of a Black 29-year-old trans woman who has a known mental health illness were placed on administrative leave and told their actions were "justified."

"I have determined that the shooting was a reasonable use of force, which is justified under the law here in Pennsylvania,” Berks County District Attorney John Adams said, according to Local 21 News.

Roxanne Moore, who is currently recovering from her injuries, was shot multiple times by police on Sept. 13 in Reading, Pennsylvania, according to the Reading Eagle. Family members and community leaders gathered in support of the 29-year-old more than a week after police said Moore was suffering from mental health issues and attacking people with a gun on the morning of Sept. 13, CBS3 reported.

Moore's brother, sisters and grandmother came with more than 50 people to a park in the town to protest and spotlight the need for greater mental health awareness.

“I just want my grandchild to get the help she needs. It [mental illness] should have been recognized long ago,” Moore's grandmother told the newspaper.

Her brother added that he was "mad as hell" and wanted his sister to know that he loves her.

Dozens of people held signs and wore Black Trans Lives Matter buttons. Jane Palmer, executive director of the local progressive group Berks Stands Up, told the Reading Eagle that Moore's battle with mental health doesn't mean she shouldn't be supported.

“We stand with Roxanne not because she’s a model citizen but because she isn’t,” Palmer said.

“We’re here today for Roxanne, who is, at this very moment, still in the hospital in critical condition because of who she is: a Black trans woman. Any one of those things, being Black, being trans, being a woman, would make her vulnerable, but she lives at the intersection of all three,” Palmer continued.

Palmer added that people have asked her why they are supporting Moore considering the crimes she is accused of and the video of the incident.

“Let me tell you, it’s because we see in their treatment centuries of racism and homophobia, and we have had enough. Do Black people ever get the benefit of the doubt in a situation involving the police? Add trans or gender-nonconforming on top of that, and you’re in real trouble,” she said.

Police were called at 7 a.m. the morning of the shooting and said they found Moore holding a woman hostage with a fully loaded .38 Smith and Wesson. The three officers asked her to drop the weapon but Moore refused before pointing her gun at the officers. They fired 16 shots and hit Moore multiple times.

CBS3 reported that Moore started a fire on her stove during an argument and stole a gun from someone inside the apartment.

During his press conference, Adams shared photos from the city’s video cameras and a Reading Housing Authority camera that shows Moore brandishing the pistol, hitting a man with it and waving the gun around. A third person called 911 after Moore allegedly threatened to shoot her. Additionally, Adams admitted that police knew Moore had previous mental health issues.

When police arrived and opened fire, they realized Moore's loaded gun had its safety lock on which made it impossible to shoot.

The city has refused to release the bodycam footage from the incident until the full investigation is finished. Adams said Moore will be facing aggravated assault and robbery charges once she is released from the hospital.

The officers involved have not been named, but each had body cams on. Police Chief Richard Tornielli told the Reading Eagle that he has shared footage of the incident with the LGBT Center of Greater Reading and Reading Pride Celebration but both groups released a statement saying more information about the case was needed.

The groups later partnered with the NAACP and One Love Project to have a candlelight vigil for Moore

“We deserve a full and independent investigation that includes making public the names of all personnel involved, all footage from body cameras and the Reading Police Department’s unredacted use of force policy,” Berks Stands Up member Chris Ellis told the newspaper last week.

Reading-Pennsylvania

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