Sharmel T. Edwards, a 49-year-old Black woman, was killed in Las Vegas in the early morning of April 21, 2012, after an encounter with police following a brief pursuit. Edwards, a single mother of two teenage daughters and an educator who worked with at-risk youth, had taken her boyfriend Ken Droog’s Cadillac after a date; Droog reported the car stolen and told police his handgun was inside. Officers stopped the vehicle about 3:37 a.m. and engaged in a 30 to 40 minute standoff as Edwards remained unresponsive to orders. When she exited the car, witnesses and police said she was holding the pistol; five officers—Melvyn F. English, Todd G. Edwards, Truong T.

Thai, Matthew J. Cook, and Christopher M. Grivas—fired and Edwards died at the scene. An autopsy detected cocaine and a blood alcohol level nearly double the legal driving limit. Witness accounts conflicted with the official narrative, with at least one witness saying Edwards had her hands on her head rather than pointing a gun. Several months later the Clark County District Attorney concluded the officers’ use of force was legally justified and declined to file criminal charges; the family maintains she was wrongfully killed.

Does anyone have additional information or witnessed that night that could clarify what happened?