Venita Keen, a 42-year-old female, died in Killen, Alabama, during a prolonged standoff with law enforcement that concluded on October 7, 2016. The events leading to her death began when the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to serve a warrant to 42-year-old Eddie Collins at the Super 8 motel. Collins, a fugitive from Lee County, Florida, was wanted on five counts of failure to appear in court on charges that included firing a missile or weapon into a vehicle or building and four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
When officers knocked on the motel room door, Collins refused to surrender and opened fire on them, initiating a standoff that would last for over 24 hours. Keen was inside the motel room with Collins throughout the ordeal. During the standoff, a woman, believed to be Keen, posted a video on Facebook in which she appeared distressed by the situation.
Negotiations with Collins were unsuccessful, and the standoff ultimately ended when law enforcement officers breached the motel room door. In the ensuing confrontation, both Collins and Keen were shot. Collins was pronounced dead at the scene, while Keen was transported to a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Initial reports from law enforcement officials were uncertain as to who fired the fatal shot that killed Keen. One account suggested a 'strong possibility' that Collins had shot her, while another confirmed she was shot by police. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's State Bureau of Investigation was called in to lead the inquiry into the officer-involved shooting. The findings of their investigation were to be turned over to the Lauderdale County District Attorney's Office for review. However, the official conclusion of the investigation and the final determination of who was responsible for Venita Keen's death have not been publicly released. No announcements of any charges or a grand jury review in relation to her death have been made.
