The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is trying to figure out what led to the police shooting death of a 36-year-old woman in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified the woman as 36-year-old Shukri Ali Said, who was fatally shot around 7:15 a.m., on Saturday morning during an encounter on Abbots Bridge Road. Johns Creek police were dispatched to the area after a 911 call reported a “demented person” armed with a knife.
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The officers arrived and encountered Said near Northview High School and, according to Capt. Chris Byers, “several attempts were made to de-escalate the encounter through the use of less lethal force,” included the use of a Taser and a foam impact round.
Officers opened fire after Said refused to drop the knife. But the suspect refused to drop the knife and two officers opened fire. Said was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Community Representation
In response, the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced that they, along with Atlanta’s Awad Law Firm, have agreed to represent Said’s family and conduct a civil rights investigation.
CAIR says that Said had suffered from mental illness, including bipolar disorder, for nearly a decade. The group added that Said’s had sister called police to “seek mental health assistance” and that the family expected Said to be taken to the hospital.
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“Shukri Said was and is loved by her family members, who called 911 out of love for her, not fear of here,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR-Georgia’s director, said in a news release. “We do not yet know all of the facts related to this incident. What we do know for sure is that mental illness should never be a death sentence.”