Yvette Smith, a 47 year-old mother of three was shot dead on February 16th, 2014. The unarmed woman was shot without warning immediately after she opened the front door of a friend’s house to the attending officers.

She was seemingly trying to act as a peacemaker during a dispute between two men that involved a gun. She called 911 about half an hour after midnight. When Bastrop County police arrived at the house, at least one of the men was in the front yard and the worst of the disturbance had seemed to be over.

Willis, who is white, saw Smith, a black 47-year-old former caretaker, and ordered her to come outside. As she opened the door he shouted “police!” then fired within about three seconds. She died in the hospital after being shot twice by the deputy, who was using his personal AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Officers made transparent attempts to justify the shooting by alleging that Yvette had threatened them with a gun, even though no evidence corroborates that story, and no one who knew her could imagine her holding a gun to anyone. Witnesses say the argument between father and son was about money, not a gun. The police statement however, had claimed that Yvette was carrying a firearm and she was described as disregarding the deputy’s commands which led to her being shot.

Willis had worked as a deputy in Bastrop for less than a year before the killing. He was fired after being charged with murder. He was previously employed as a jailer in the Austin area. In a 2012 evaluation a supervisor wrote that he needed “more development in handling explosive situations and the utilization of common sense”.

Daniel Willis was cleared of murder by visiting district judge Albert McCaig during a retrial 30 miles east of Austin.

Judge McCaig usually works in Waller County, where the death of Sandra Bland last year in custody drew national attention. He helped choose grand jurors last year to analyze evidence related to Bland’s death. 

In a lengthy statement before his ruling, the judge described Smith as a victim who was “a good person, a kind person and a gentle person trying to do the right thing” and apportioned part of the blame to the two men for fighting.

The case was tried and the officer was found not guilty. This should have never happened in the first place. Besides bringing awareness to her case, I am petitioning to motion that all states sanction department-issued firearms. In most states, the law mandates that you use authorized weapons not personal ones. I am also calling for a thorough investigation of the Bastrop County Police Department, in order to protect past/current victims of their corruption, and prevent the existence of any future victims. Often times, we forget to recognize that women are also victims of police brutality far too often. Please give this woman's case the recognition it deserves.