On a late summer evening, an encounter with police in Virginia Beach, Virginia, ended the life of 27-year-old India Kager, a Black female and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. On September 5, 2015, Kager was in a car with Angelo Perry, the 35-year-old father of her infant son, when they pulled into a 7-Eleven parking lot. Their four-month-old baby was secured in the backseat of the vehicle.
Unknown to Kager, police had been following them, targeting Perry as a person of interest in a homicide investigation. Authorities believed Perry was heavily armed and on his way to commit another violent act.
As their car was parked, a SWAT team descended on the vehicle, employing a flash-bang grenade in an attempt to disorient the occupants. Within moments, a chaotic scene unfolded as officers approached the car. According to police, Perry began to fire at them. The four officers returned fire, unleashing a barrage of approximately 30 rounds into the car in less than 15 seconds. Both Kager and Perry were struck multiple times and died at the scene. Miraculously, their infant son in the backseat was unharmed. Kager’s family has stated they do not believe she was aware of any of Perry's alleged criminal activities.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney investigated the incident and determined that the officers' actions were justified, and no criminal charges were filed against them. The prosecutor stated that Angelo Perry's reckless actions of firing at the police led to both his and Kager's deaths, asserting that Perry had positioned Kager in the officers' line of fire. Disputing the official account and seeking accountability, India Kager's mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against four of the Virginia Beach police officers involved.
The civil case went to trial, arguing that while the officers may not have intended to harm Kager, their actions were reckless and grossly negligent. In August 2018, a jury found two of the four officers negligent in Kager's death and awarded her estate $800,000 in damages. Subsequently, the City of Virginia Beach and Kager's family agreed to a settlement for that amount, foregoing any further appeals. The settlement specified that it was not an admission of wrongdoing by the officers.
