HOUSTON — Attorneys for Pamela Turner say the indictment of a Baytown police officer for her shooting death is a victory for black women's lives.
Officer Juan De La Cruz is charged with aggravated assault by a public servant.
In 2019, while he attempted to serve outstanding warrants, a fight broke out. Turner grabbed his Taser, shocking the officer who opened fire.
Attorneys argue the officer knew the Taser was on dry stun, so could hurt, but not incapacitate him.
If convicted, Cruz faces up to life in prison.
"This is one step closer to getting justice my mom deserves allowing her to rest respectfully," Chelsie Ruben, Turner's daughter, said.
“De La Cruz took a beautiful soul a loving person away from us,” Antoinette Dorsey, Turner's sister, said.
Her death sparked local protests. The attorneys sad Cruz knew Turner had mental health issues and did not need to shoot her.
KHOU 11 News have reached out to the officer's attorney for comment.