A young black couple who were killed in a police shooting last week were reportedly “unconscious” inside a vehicle when officers first arrived.
Inglewood, California Mayor James Butts Jr. revealed these startling details at a press conference, to NBC Los Angeles. The mayor would not comment on what specific action triggered police to use deadly force.
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The victims have been been identified as Kisha Michael, 31, a single mother of three sons, and Marquintan Sandlin, 32, a single father of four daughters.
Butts told NBC Los Angeles the police tried to “rouse” the couple for roughly 45 minutes, something he described as an attempt to ‘de-escalate’ the situation.
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Officers first reported that the woman inside the vehicle had a gun in her hand, which caused officers to retreat and then engage the couple with their guns.
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“Obviously at some point they were conscious because somebody felt threatened,” Butts said.
Friends and family of the two victims said they didn’t know why either would be in possession of a gun. The specific reason why deadly force was used is still unknown at this time.