Power Drill Gets San Jose Woman Fatally Shot
A power drill ended up getting San Jose woman Diana Showman shot outside her home. Police responded to what they had thought to be an “uzi-type weapon” by shooting her.
Diana’s family said that she had struggled with mental health issues, and as such may have been unable to differentiate between real life and the movies she had loved. Police had responded to reports of a woman wielding what appeared to be a gun and threatening to kill her family.
When the San Jose Police arrived at the residence, Diana Showman was spotted with the power tool they believed to be a gun and told her to put the weapon down. Instead of complying with their demands, she had proceeded to aim the power drill at the officers. Responding to what they had taken to be a threat, they fatally shot Diana.
Diana had been taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, while her parents had been interviewed and couldn’t be with her in her final moments. They are demanding a full investigation.
Diana had reportedly suffered with severe Bipolar Disorder her entire life, and her parents had been understanding and compassionate with her. The San Jose Police, having been trained to react to threats, may not have known the entirety of the situation, but her parents believe that police should have at least been able deal with the situation better.
Diana’s mother Vickie told the press, “She was a good girl – she had challenges, we loved her. I want the police to be more careful. I want them to be more compassionate.”
Jim Showman, her father, added, “She liked movies, you know? And I think a lot of times she would fantasize of something, and I almost think that’s probably what occurred.”
San Jose Police Sergeant Heather Randol said, “The events unfolded very quickly and very rapidly. And the officer had to react to a threat.”
RT @Tokyo_Tom: Yesterday, Cops Killed a 19-Year-Old San Jose Woman After Mistaking Power Drill For an Uzi. http://t.co/zWe8J7iUvH #Ferguson
— #JusticeForMikeBrown (@SteveTwerkel) August 18, 2014
They may not have had time to discern that the power drill wasn’t a gun when Diana apparently escalated the situation. Most power drills have a large bulbous handle where the battery clips on, as well as a usually short and round drill mechanism. Real guns that ordinary civilians have access to don’t usually look like that.
The officer who shot her had allegedly also been trained to deal with those who have mental health issues.
The police had had the time to tell Diana to put the weapon down, and she instead seemed to act out a fantasy which they took as a threat.
Do you think the police had made a poor decision when Diana Showman used a power drill like a gun?
[image via Shutterstock]
