The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has released bodycam footage of a white officer fatally shooting 27-year-old Niani Finlayson in front of her nine-year-old daughter. On December 4, Finlayson called police to report an ongoing domestic violence incident with her ex-boyfriend, who was refusing to leave her home.
Deputy Ty Shelton and his partner arrived at the scene, and footage shows that within seconds of Finlayson opening the door, Shelton fired multiple times, killing her.
When officers entered the home, Finlayson was holding an object identified as a knife and is said to have stated she was planning to stab the ex-boyfriend because he had “hurt her daughter.” He was arrested on the scene for child abuse and assault on an officer, but was released pending investigation.
Records indicate that in 2020, Deputy Shelton was also involved in the killing of Michael Thomas, 61, under similar circumstances.
In the aftermath of Finlayson’s murder, Shelton was removed from field duty pending an investigation. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office say they are examining the officer’s use of force, and Sheriff Robert Luna is promising transparency and external oversight during the review process.
Finlayson’s family has signaled their intent to file $30 million civil suit against the Sheriff’s Department for her wrongful death.
