A deputy with the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office will not face charges for the shooting death of a Missouri woman earlier this year.
Special prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff told the court on Monday that the officer who shot and killed Hannah Fizer, a 25-year-old white woman, during a traffic stop in June did not violate the law. Sokoloff noted that he believes alternative methods of de-escalation could have prevented the shooting, but he determined that the officer, who has not been identified, did not violate Missouri law.
“There are aspects of the case that lead me to believe that an alternative approach might have avoided the confrontation that led to the officer having to discharge his weapon,” Sokoloff wrote, later adding, “the recent spate of these types of avoidable deaths would certainly suggest that a reexamination of training techniques may be in order.”
Fizer was in her vehicle during a traffic stop when she was shot. The officer told investigators that Fizer said she had a gun and threatened to shoot him. When Fizer reached down toward the floorboards, the officer fired his gun and killed her. No gun was found in the vehicle.
Missouri law requires that officers must have a reasonable belief that their life is in danger before they can shoot at a suspect. Sokoloff argued that the officer had reason to believe his life was in danger.
“It cannot be said that the officer did not have a reasonable belief that he was in danger of serious physical injury or death from the actions of the deceased at the time he fired,” Sokoloff wrote.
John Fizer, Hannah’s father, said he was “dumbfounded” by Sokoloff’s decision. He noted that his daughter did not own a weapon and was driving to work at the time of the incident.
“She probably did run a red light. He probably pulled her over for a good reason,” Fizer said. “His good reason stopped right there. Seconds later, she’s dead. I’m just numb. I don’t understand it.”
Pettis County had not issued body cameras for officers, making the investigation “somewhat more difficult,” according to Sokoloff. He used unclear video with no audio from a nearby security camera to confirm that Fizer was moving “vigorously” during the moments before the shooting. She was also heard yelling in the officer’s dispatch to the department.
The county agreed to buy body cameras in August following Fizer’s death.
