Woman Killed In Officer-Involved IncidentUpdated 06/11/02 - 6:25 pm
A police officer shot and killed a woman, but many residents believe it should have been handled differently.
The officer fatally shot a woman with a history of mental illness after she threatened her landlord with a knife.
It happened in the 2000 block of Rosewood Avenue, near 11th and Chicon.
Police say they are trained to meet deadly force with deadly force. That, they say, is exactly what they did Tuesday.
Austin Police say shooting and killing 23-year-old Sophia King was their only option.
"Officers yelled at her twice to drop the knife. She refused, and she lunged to stab the victim. The officer fired one shot," APD Lt. Ronald Collins said.
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• Shooting InvestigatedKing's neighbors in this East Austin neighborhood disagree.
"They should have used another method to take her down instead of just shooting her," one of King's neighbors said.
Called to King's home in the 2000 block of Rosewood, police say King slammed the door in their face, ran out the back door with a butcher knife and lunged at a housing authority employee.
"She didn't stab her, but she was in the process and when the officer felt he had no other alternative he fired one shot," Collins said.
But could prior knowledge of King's mental history and erratic behavior have prevented this incident?
"I don't think if you're standing at the front door of a residence, how you can prevent what someone inside does at all," APD Assistant Chief Rick Coy said.
Police confirm that they had been called to this location and they admit they knew this victim had a history of mental problems. That's just one fact that leads many local resident with unanswered questions.
"If there's a record on police files that this woman has a mental history, and when you engage people with a mental illness, you know that their mind-state is not going to be good so you don't go in there like that," neighbor Donald Garnett said.
A fact that didn't help Tuesday but a tool that even Chief Coy concedes could be helpful.
"It helps the officer to have knowledge when you go back to a repeat call. You probably learn ways to do things a little better the next time. Or you might learn something unique to that situation," Coy said.
Sixteen year veteran Officer John Coffey is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Police say that's standard procedure. The victim, Sophia King, leaves behind two children.
Austin Police Killing Of Knife-Wielding Woman Draws Demands For Investigation
The NAACP, the Nation of Islam and the Texas Civil Rights Project are demanding a thorough investigation into the police killing of a knife-wielding woman Tuesday. Sophia King, 23, was killed by Austin police officer John Coffey when police say Coffey tried to keep the woman from stabbing her landlord with a butcher knife.
Neighbors and family told KEYE Wednesday that King suffered from schizophrenia and Austin police had responded to other disturbance calls involving King in the past. They told KEYE they felt police should have called a mental health expert to help calm her down.
King's mother announced Wednesday she's filing a civil lawsuit through the Texas Civil Rights Project. The NAACP also said it is going to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
Coffey is on administrative leave until a Travis County Grand Jury considers whether deadly force was dictated by the circumstances. The incident happened Tuesday morning at the Rosewood housing complex in East Austin.
Austin police say Coffey had no choice but to shoot King, who was acting erratically and wielding a knife. Police say they got a call that a woman was threatening to stab her landlord. Officers say when police arrived they warned her several times to put down the knife, but she refused.
Officers said King, who was naked, ran toward the unidentified apartment employee, who stumbled while trying to flee. Police say King then stood over the employee and raised the knife. That's when Officer Coffey shot her once. The officer has 15 years experience.
