Bernice Ann Brown, a 43-year-old female, was fatally shot on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, in Kansas City, Missouri, after she attempted to intervene in a dispute involving her son. The incident, which unfolded around 3:30 p.m. near 50th Street and Chestnut Avenue, escalated from a verbal argument to a deadly confrontation.
The conflict began when Brown's son went to the home of 20-year-old Tyjuan K. Caldwell to confront him about money he was owed.
A physical altercation ensued between the two men. Witnesses reported that after the initial fight was broken up, another fight began between Brown's son and Caldwell's brother. Bernice Brown arrived at the scene and was trying to break up this second fight when the fatal shots were fired.
During the disturbance, Caldwell retrieved a gun from inside his home and returned outside. He stated to police that he fired three times toward Brown's son's legs, but Brown jumped into the line of fire. She was struck by the gunfire and was found by police in the street. Her death was subsequently ruled a homicide by the Jackson County Medical Examiner.
Tyjuan K. Caldwell was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Bernice Brown. In June 2019, a Jackson County jury convicted Caldwell of Murder in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.
