In August of 2021, a 27-year-old woman of Hispanic and Native American descent, Destinee Thompson, was fatally shot by police in Arvada, Colorado. The mother of three was also pregnant at the time of her death. The incident unfolded when Arvada police responded to a report of a shoplifting at a Target store, where the female suspect had allegedly brandished a knife.
A witness followed the suspect to the American Motel, the same location where Thompson was staying.
Officers encountered Thompson as she was leaving the motel to have lunch with her stepmother. Believing she matched the description of the shoplifting suspect, who was described as white or Hispanic, officers approached Thompson. Accounts from her family's lawyers state that plainclothes officers stopped her as she was getting into her minivan. According to the family's lawsuit, the situation quickly escalated when an officer shattered her passenger-side window with a baton. Thompson then attempted to drive away, backing into a police vehicle before maneuvering over a curb and onto the road.
As she drove away, one officer, Anthony Benallo, fired eight shots at her minivan, striking her and causing her death and the death of her unborn child. The officer who fired the shots later stated that he believed another officer was in danger of being hit by Thompson's vehicle. However, a lawsuit filed by Thompson's family alleged that she was already 25 yards away from the officers when the fatal shot was fired and posed no threat. It was later confirmed that Thompson was not the shoplifting suspect, who was identified as another woman and was eventually arrested.
Following an investigation, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office declined to file criminal charges against the officers involved, deeming the use of deadly force justified. The DA's office concluded that the officer who fired had a 'misconception' that a fellow officer was in danger. In response, Thompson's family filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against the city of Arvada and the officers involved. The lawsuit was settled in January 2025 for $2 million, with the city admitting no liability. An autopsy report found that Thompson had illicit drugs in her system and that she had outstanding warrants for her arrest at the time of her death.
