A police officer from Texas has been indicted for accidentally shooting a mother-of-three as he tried to shoot her advancing dog.
26-year-old Ravi Singh was indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury on criminally negligent charges after Margarita Brooks, 30, passed away.
According to reports, Singh was responding to a call of a woman who passed out near the intersection of North Collins and Cantor Drive. Bodycam footage shows the cop approaching the homeless woman but the unrestrained dog started to bark.
The 26-year-old cop is heard saying: “Hello, are you okay? Is that your dog?”
Brooks then responded that she is fine but her dog started running towards the cop.
“Get back!” Singh shouted as the dog ran toward him. He then fired three shots, accidentally hitting the woman.
“What the f***. Oh my god, the police shot me!” Brooks cried. She was rushed to Medical City Arlington where she passed away from her injuries.
The case was handed over to the Tarrant Criminal District Attorney’s Office after it was ruled that the mother’s cause of death was a homicide.
Brooks’ 40-pound lab mix survived the shooting incident.
Singh resigned from the Arlington Police Department amid investigations three months after the shooting.
The mother’s grieving family told CBS Local: “We are pleased that the Tarrant County Grand Jury has returned an indictment for the officer who killed Maggie. Officers responding to welfare checks should not be so quick to use their deadly weapons in situations that do not call for use of force.”
“Our hope is not only that this officer is held responsible for Maggie’s death, but that the Arlington Police Department is also held accountable for its lack of training and procedures in responding to welfare checks,” her family added.
Brooks leaves behind her three children, ages 13, 11, and 9.
Singh faces a maximum of two years in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
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