KANSAS CITY —The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office received racist, threatening calls Monday after deciding not to charge a woman in the fatal shooting of an off-duty firefighter.
The statement from Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker's office said, "The office takes its oath and the safety of its employees seriously. Although we do not typically release statements on declined cases without new facts, we are now compelled to do so because of the circumstances that occurred Monday morning."
"The office has received numerous phone calls with offensive racist and sexist language. These phone calls also include violent threats to the office employees and the elected prosecutor."
"Our employees are public servants who offer their careers and lives. They work hard to uphold the rule of law. The rule of law required that this case be declined."
"The facts of this case show that the victim of the shooting followed a man out of the store to his car following a verbal exchange between that man and a store clerk. Once outside, the facts specifically demonstrate that the shooting female fired a single shot in defense of the man who was being strangled."
"Her statement and actions were supported by an independent witness. That witness, who has professional medical training, described the man who was being choked as “totally defenseless.”
"The witness noted that this man “couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe [and] he was turning purple” and his “eyes rolled back into his head.”
"The witness believed that he heard the victim of the shooting say to the man he was choking, “I’m killing you.”
"Finally, the witness said that the shooter was “begging him to stop” and her ”hands were shaking.” These statements and video evidence from the convenience store support the defense of others provision as codified in Missouri law. Because of this, as stated, Missouri’s self-defense and defense of others law required that this case be declined."