Independence police recklessly killed Maria Pike and shot her 2-month-old infant Destiny Hope in the head. Community members are accusing the department of a blatant cover-up, demanding the release of body camera footage and accountability for all officers involved.

wo-month-old Destiny Hope and her mother, Maria Pike, were gunned down by Independence police in what community members are calling a state-sanctioned execution. The killings have sparked outrage and demands for justice, with critics pointing to this as yet another example of the escalating violence of American policing.

“Shots Fired, Shots Fired”

The tragic chain of events was set into motion in the afternoon of November 7th, when Talisa Coombs, baby Destiny’s grandmother, called the police to report a domestic dispute at the Oval Spring Apartments in Independence. According to Talisa, she had been assaulted by Maria during a heated altercation. She wanted Maria arrested for assault—but what unfolded far exceeded anything she could have imagined.