A woman who was shot by Chicago police in Lawndale after she pointed a gun at officers told them “she was going to get killed before she would go back to jail,” Cook County prosecutors said Monday.
Keshawna Davidson, of Chatham, was sitting in the driver seat of an illegally parked vehicle around 3:30 p.m. Saturday when officers approached her in the 1400 block of South Karlov Avenue, Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin DeBoni said.
Davidson, 20, was unable to provide a driver’s license, which prompted an officer to ask her and her two passengers to exit the vehicle, DeBoni said.
The passengers obliged with the request, but Davidson — on parole for a 2019 aggravated battery against an officer — allegedly refused. Davidson requested a female officer to search her and the officers agreed. However, she appeared to have been stalling and remained seated, while texting on her phone, DeBoni said.
As an officer tried to help Davidson out of the car after she said she had an injured leg, Davidson placed her hands toward her back right side, DeBoni said. When officers asked to see her hands, Davidson moved them toward the middle of her waist, allegedly holding an object that officers believed to be a handgun. Davidson then told the officers she would be killed before going back to jail, DeBoni said.
As the officers started to back away from the 2006 Honda Sonata, Davidson pointed the muzzle of handgun at a third officer, who yelled “gun” and took cover, DeBoni said.
That’s when one of the other officers shot toward Davidson. When she continued to move the gun — this time pointing it at the officer firing shots at her — another officer fired, DeBoni said.
The two officers fired a total of 26 rounds at Davidson, striking her four times, DeBoni said.
Davidson was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition. Her condition has since been stabilized, DeBoni said.
At the hospital, Davidson again told police that she pointed the gun at the officers because “she wanted to get killed before she would go back to jail,” DeBoni said.
Davidson’s unloaded 9mm handgun was recovered on the scene, police said. Investigators also found a brass shell casing on Davidson’s vehicle. The casing didn’t match the chrome casings from the officers’ weapons, so investigators plan to compare it with the ballistics from a separate nearby shooting that happened earlier Saturday, DeBoni said.
In addition to her aggravated battery conviction, Davidson has a 2018 conviction for attempted robbery and battery in a public place, prosecutors said.
Judge Charles Beach ordered Davidson held on $70,000 bail for three counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer and one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
Davidson’s passengers were questioned, but neither was charged in connection with the confrontation, police said.
Davidson is expected back in court Jan. 25.
Contributing: Sun-Times Wire
