Lawsuit Filed by Family of Pregnant Woman Killed by Arvada Officer

The family of Destinee Thompson, a pregnant woman who was shot and killed by an Arvada police officer in August 2021, has filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against five officers. Thompson, who was not the robbery suspect the police were looking for, was shot as she drove away from the scene. The family's attorney argues that the officer violated department policy by shooting into a moving vehicle. The officer claimed he fired because he believed Thompson might have struck and run over an undercover officer, but it was later determined that the officer was unharmed. The district attorney declined to charge the officer. Thompson had drugs in her system and a warrant out for her arrest at the time of the incident.