Police Chief Addresses Officers' Deadly Shooting Of Redmond Mom

REDMOND, WA — Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe on Monday publicly addressed the killing of a 39-year-old Redmond woman by officers last September.

The police department responded to a 911 call from Andrea Churna on Sept. 20, 2020, she told dispatchers that someone was trying to kill her inside her apartment. In an initial news release, published the next day, Redmond police said officers made contact with a woman standing on her balcony who told them she called 911 and said she had possibly shot someone.

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The September release continues:

"During the interaction, she confronted officers with a handgun, multiple shots were fired, and the subject was struck several times. Police immediately administered CPR and requested aid, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured during the incident, and there was no one else located in her apartment."

Under state law, police shootings require independent reviews, and detectives from King County's major crimes unit were tasked with reviewing the officers' actions. The detectives' findings were handed over to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review in January, but prosecutors returned the case for further investigation.

While Lowe's statement Monday does not directly reference the story, his letter follows an extensive report published by KUOW last Friday, which used witness interviews, 911 calls, radio traffic and police reports to provide a detailed look at the night of the shooting. The department is not equipped with body cameras.

One officer said he fired three rounds, and missed, after Churna pointed a gun at him, according to KUOW. Citing a police report, KUOW found two officers shot Churna multiple times after she "raised her arm in the direction towards her apartment door" while lying on the ground in her hallway a few minutes later. In an October update of the shooting's timeline, the King County Sheriff's Office said detectives later found a handgun inside the apartment while executing a search warrant.

Lowe's letter Monday begins:

"I want to provide our community an update on the officer involved shooting that occurred on the evening of Sept. 20, 2020. The shooting resulted in the death of 39-year-old Andrea Churna. I begin this update by offering my condolences to Ms. Churna’s family. I am committed to a thorough, comprehensive, and transparent review of this volatile incident to ensure tactics used and the officers’ actions were appropriate. The bottom line is, a life was lost, and the lives of the officers who responded are forever changed."

Lowe said once the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office makes a final charging decision, he would review the King County investigation and begin an internal review of the officers' actions and request a review from "a scientific institute that specializes in analyzing use-of-force and advising police agencies on deadly force incidents."

The police chief said any disciplinary actions, policy changes, or training decisions would be made only after all the reviews are complete. Lowe said he did not expect the officers would face criminal charges.

He concludes:

"It is the Prosecutor’s Office who will determine if any criminal charges will be filed against any of the officers involved. Based on what limited information I know now, I have no reason to believe this will happen. Therefore, the officers involved were returned to duty after a period of administrative leave which is protocol in these types of incidents. My heart is with Ms. Churna’s family and loved ones, as well as my officers and dispatchers involved in this incident. It is a tragedy this incident had to end with a loss of life. I will continue to share updates with our community as more details become available."