In a statement released late Friday, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said the decision not to file charges against the Independence officer who killed Maria Pike and her daughter Destinii in November 2024 was difficult.
“The loss of a young mother and her infant are devastating and tragic,” she said in the statement. “However, as prosecutors, we are bound by an oath to apply the law and analyze facts without being guided by the sympathy we feel for all those impacted.”
Johnson said under Missouri law, criminal charges were not warranted.
“Our purpose is to determine if what was done was reasonable, defined by Missouri law, and not whether it was the best course of action,” the statement reads.
Missouri law states that if an officer decides on the scene, based on the circumstances and facts, that an arrest is lawful, the officer can use their discretion to decide how much force is justified.
Deadly force is allowed, according to the law, when an officer “reasonably believes” a suspect is attempting to escape with the use of a deadly weapon, or to kill or seriously injure the officer or others unless arrested.
The family of the shooting victims was not satisfied with the investigation from the start, saying law enforcement wasn’t transparent.
On Nov. 7, 2024, Independence Police responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Oval Spring Apartments off 291 Highway. Once the officers determined they had the evidence to make an arrest, they found Maria Pike, 34, and her 3-month-old baby, Destinii, behind a closet door.
Police body camera footage showed Pike coming out of the closet holding her baby, without talking, making only hand gestures. She made her way to the bed where she was able to grab a knife.
Body camera footage shows the woman, still holding the baby, moving toward the officers. One of the two officers on the scene was unable to move away and fired four shots, striking both the mother and baby. Both died of their gunshot wounds.
“We recognize the profound loss suffered by the families and our entire community and frankly wish that circumstances were handled differently,” Johnson said. “(But) our review of this incident is ethically and legally limited to determining only whether criminal charges are appropriate.”
