Witness to Challenges Key Component of Officer Involved Shooting

CHARLOTTE, NC — A key witness is turning Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s account of why an officer killed a woman upside down.

 

Friday marks three nights since Officer Anthony Holzhauer killed Janisha Fonville.

 

Information from the witness, Kaneisha Banks, Fonville’s girlfriend, challenges the knife: the reason the officer felt he had to kill the 20-year-old.

 

Now, Fonville’s father, Mikal Ahmad-ElBey, wants to challenge CMPD in court.

 

“It’s not acceptable,” said Ahmad-ElBey. “We will fight this tooth and nail, and that’s how it’s going to be.”

 

CMPD says Fonville was arguing with her girlfriend, Banks, when officers responded to the domestic violence call on Bellefonte Drive Wednesday night.

 

“Officers met one participant who said the girlfriend was inside with a knife,” said Chief Rodney Monroe. “Officers went in to living room, saw the victim on couch with knife in hand.”

 

Chief Monroe says officers told her to drop the knife, but she refused. He says she lunged at the officers and Holzhauer shot her twice.

 

One round hit her hand, the other hit her shoulder. 

 

Banks tells WCCB Charlotte no, Foneville’s knife was on her hip.

 

“He needs to be taken off the force,” said Ahmad-ElBey.

 

WCCB Charlotte asked CMPD about the knife. A spokesperson only re-sent the original news release on the shooting.

 

 “Every officer has a right to defend themselves, but if she shot in the hand first, she’s no longer dangerous,” said Ahmad-ElBey. “if she had a knife.”

 

As previously reported, this was Officer Holzhauer’s third on-the-job shooting in two and a half years.

 

In 2013, Officer Holzhauer shot at three armed men who were first shooting at him. No one died in that instance.

 

He killed Michael Laney in 2012. Laney was an suspect in an armed robbery and was scuffling with Officer Holzhauer. 

 

Police aren’t filing criminal charges against Officer Holzhauer because they say Fonville lunged at him with the weapon.  

 

He’s on paid leave while the District Attorney reviews the case.

 

“It cost a life. Life is important,” said Ahmad-ElBey. 

 

Knife or not, family wants police to have more training on using other, less deadly methods of defense.

 

The family is trying to raise funds to hire an attorney.