The Knoxville Police Department released distressing body camera footage on Monday after officers fatally shot a knife-wielding woman on Belle Terra Road last month. According to WVLT, the video, now public on the department's YouTube channel, shows the June 20 incident when officers responded to reports of a woman threatening to harm herself and others. Shilo M. Rice, 49, was shot by three officers as she charged at them with a knife.
Bodycam footage captures an escalation after officers approach a house, following reports of an armed and distrailed woman. "I can hear someone yelling in there," one officer is heard on the WBIR obtained video. As Rice emerges and runs towards the officers, multiple commands are heard: "Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't you do it!" The officers open fire as she continues moving towards them, knife raised.
Further footage, according to WATE, shows Rice on the ground attempting to stand and reach for the knife multiple times, prompting additional shots from the officers. She finally stops moving after being struck several times. Officers then secure the area and administer medical assistance while keeping their firearms trained on her, but Rice later succumbs to her injuries at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
The incident is under examination by both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the KPD's Office of Professional Standards. Officers involved in a shooting have been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. The video, while illuminating, sparks a solemn reminder of the stark and tragic machinations of law enforcement in frenetic circumstances.
