Eyewitness says woman shot by police was unarmed, MSHP’s initial investigation reveals a weapon

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A police investigation which led to a shooting Friday night is now the subject of social media video. An eyewitness claims the woman shot by KCPD was unarmed.

The dramatic video she took in the aftermath and posted on social media has been shared thousands of times with close to 45,000 views.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Andy Bell spoke with KCTV5 about the claims revealing the initial investigation does reveal a weapon. The woman who was shot is believed to have been armed with a handgun.

Sgt. Bell notes officer-involved shootings take weeks if not months to fully investigate before final conclusions are reached.

Four KCPD officers responded to the scene in two separate patrol cars. They were investigating a carjacking. That means there are six potential sources of police video of the moments leading up to the shooting because KCPD officers wear body cameras and patrol cars potentially have dash-camera video. Sgt. Bell says MSHP investigators will work to see if there are any other sources of video at the Family Dollar.

Sgt. Bell says all eyewitness accounts are important and numerous witnesses will be interviewed. All accounts of what happened that night are important. He was clear that the highway patrol was not dismissing the serious allegation.

The woman who posted the video appears to live out of state and was passing through Kansas City. Her social media profile shows she lives in Louisiana. She did not respond to KCTV5 requests for comment on what she saw Friday night.

Hundreds of people commented below on the video she took and the claims she made.

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