Body camera footage has emerged showing the fatal confrontation between Missouri police officers and Maria Pike, a 34-year-old mother, who was holding her two-month-old baby, Destinii Hope, when she lunged at officers with a large kitchen knife.
The incident, which ended tragically with the deaths of both Pike and her infant daughter, unfolded during a police response to a domestic disturbance call.
The footage, recently released by the Independence Police Department (IPD), begins with officers calmly attempting to communicate with Pike, who was visibly distressed and standing inside a closet while clutching her baby. Officers on the scene repeatedly urged her to put the child down, but their requests were met with resistance.
“The repeated attempts failed,” the department explained in a statement, adding that Pike eventually left the closet and moved toward a bed in the room, sitting down near a nightstand.
As the video progresses, Pike’s husband—who is also the baby’s father—is seen sitting shirtless on the bed, observing the situation as officers continued their efforts to de-escalate the tense environment. Pike remained seated, holding her infant tightly.
Approximately 11 minutes into the footage, the situation took a horrifying turn. Pike suddenly grabbed a concealed large kitchen knife from the bedside table and lunged toward one of the officers.
“Woah!” an officer exclaimed as Pike first threatened him with the knife. She then turned toward another officer, raising the blade above her head, with her baby still in her arms.
“She retrieved the concealed large kitchen-style knife and charged at officers, while still holding the child,” the IPD noted in its statement.
One officer fired at Pike, resulting in fatal injuries to both her and the infant.
The officer responsible for the shooting has not been publicly identified, and the footage ends abruptly.
The three officers involved in the incident have since been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
The IPD acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “The Independence Police Department has been and will continue to be as transparent as legally permitted. We fully understand the demand for answers surrounding the events of that day and will continue to fully cooperate with the outside investigation being conducted by the Police Involved Investigation Team.”
The department also indicated that no further details about the incident would be shared until the investigation concludes.
