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A 52-year-old woman was shot by a law enforcement officer during a police intervention at her home in northwest Miami-Dade.
The deceased, whose nationality has not been disclosed, was identified as Karen Ivette Gómez, a mother who -according to official reports- was carrying a knife and had self-inflicted injuries when she was found by the police.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, has caused distress for the victim's family, who claim that the emergency call was made to request help during an emotional crisis.
The intervention concluded with the combined use of a stun gun (taser) and a firearm shot by one of the officers, resulting in their transfer to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
According to family members, the crisis began when Karen's youngest daughter called 911, worried about her mother's emotional state. Minutes later, the situation escalated into a police operation that ended in tragedy.
“When my sister called asking for help for my mom, I heard two gunshots and my mom is dead,” recounted Natalie Gómez, the victim's eldest daughter, in statements to the local press.
He added that while he was on the phone with his younger sister, who was still inside the house, he clearly heard the gunshots.
"We called for help and they killed my mom," she repeated in statements reported by the press.
The family claims that there were no firearms in the home and that the woman did not pose a greater danger than that of a person in emotional distress.
The official version: Attempt at dialogue and use of force
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO), deputies responded to a report alerting them about a woman who was harming herself with a knife in a residence located near Northwest 55th Avenue and 190th Street.
“During that encounter, the woman was struck with a stun gun and, at the same time, an officer fired his service weapon, injuring her,” explained the sheriff's spokesperson, Eric García.
The woman was transported by helicopter by the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue team to a hospital, where she died from her injuries. No officers were injured during the operation.
In a statement to NBC6, spokesperson García indicated that Karen posed a significant threat as she was holding a knife and had multiple self-inflicted injuries.
A detailed explanation has yet to be provided regarding why it was necessary to use lethal force after a taser had already been deployed.
Family members in mourning and without answers
For the family, the scene was heartbreaking from the moment they arrived.
"There were probably about 40 police officers outside my house when I arrived," recalled Natalie Gómez.
She and her younger sister waited for hours outside the police cordon, not knowing whether their mother was alive or dead.
Karen's brother, deeply affected, noted that the woman had experienced issues with her partner and was suffering from suicidal thoughts, but he emphasized that she did not have access to firearms.
Investigation conducted by the FDLE
As is standard procedure when law enforcement agents are involved, the case has been handed over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which is conducting an independent investigation.
So far, no images from the body cameras of the involved officers have been released, nor has the name of the officer who fired the weapon been disclosed.
The police have stated that they attempted to engage in a dialogue with the woman before using force, but the specific details of that interaction have not been clarified.
Karen Ivette Gómez adds to a growing list of incidents in which police interventions during mental health crises have ended with fatal consequences.
In many of these episodes, family members request medical or psychological help, and instead receive an armed response.
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