Bich Cau Thi Tran was 25 when she was fatally shot by a San Jose Police officer on July 13, 2003, inside her apartment. Officers Chad Marshall and Tom Mun had responded after a neighbor called about her toddler wandering in the street. Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant with a documented history of mental health problems who had stopped taking antipsychotic medication, was reported to be wielding an Asian vegetable peeler when officers entered. Officer Marshall shot her once in the chest within seconds of arriving, saying he believed she was about to throw the peeler.

The shooting immediately drew protests from San Jose’s Vietnamese American community, who accused police of excessive force. Tran’s family later filed a wrongful death suit that resulted in a $1.8 million settlement. A grand jury declined to indict Officer Marshall, finding he acted in self-defense, a decision that heightened community anger and calls for better police training and cultural sensitivity when dealing with mentally ill individuals.

Does anyone who lived in that neighborhood in 2003 or who knew the Tran family have additional recollections or information to share?