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Family Upset With Police For Shooting Mentally Ill Woman

 

BALDWIN HILLS (CBS) — Police shot a woman in the abdomen after they say she was threatening to hurt her family and bit an officer in Baldwin Hills Saturday.

But, Camisha Davidson's family says everyone knew she had mental health problems, including the police, and that officers didn't handle the situation correctly.

The shooting occurred at an apartment complex on Santa Rosalia Drive Saturday afternoon.

"It's really sad," said Victoria Johnson, Davidson's neighbor. "They need to train officers a little better so they know how to deal with people with special needs."

Davidson's brother, Devin Williams, said his sister was only violent with herself.

"She only hurts herself...it's a personal thing, I guess," Williams said. "She has never lashed out at anyone, nothing like that."

At approximately 6 a.m. the Davidson's family called for help in dealing with her because she was acting out and trying to hurt herself. Two LAPD officers arrived at their Baldwin Hills apartment.

During each prior call to police, Williams said, the officers waited for mental health responders to confront Davidson. He says this morning the officers walked down the narrow hall to the bedrooms and asked her to come out of the corner room.

Police said the woman bit one of the officers and was poised to attack with a metal strip from the wall. They said the officers felt threatened in the situation and forced to shoot.

Davidson's sister-in-law said there is no way that could be true.

"She won't hurt a fly," Janice Powell said. "She is not that type of person. Yes, she has a sickness. She is self-inflicting. She would hurt herself before she would hurt someone else."

Camisha Davidson Police Shooting
Camisha Davidson's brother, Devin Williams, points to the metal strip on the wall that police allege Davidson tried to attack them with. (credit: CBS)

Davidson's brother showed where the strip came from, but says his sister would have had to pass the officers to get to it, then unstrip it from the wall.

"If you try to grip this, there is no possible way to grip this -- it's not going to happen," Williams said.

Davidson was shot once in the stomach and was transported to UCLA Medical Center. She was listed in stable condition.

The woman's family said officers did not handle the situation correctly and have hired a lawyer.

"They didn't assess the situation the right way," Williams said. "They just overreacted, you know. It's not fair to us or my family."

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