Attorneys for the family of a California woman who a police officer fatally shot have accused the officer of using excessive force Wednesday.
Tracy Gaeta, 54, died after a K-9 officer fired more than 30 shots into her car on Feb. 22.
"No matter what was going on with her — even if she had committed a heinous crime — he didn't have the right to shoot her," attorney Gary Gwilliam said in an interview with CBS News. "She never threatened him. The excessive force is shocking," he added.
Stockton Police Department says that a Stockton Police officer was stopped at a red light on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after the driver of the vehicle hit the officer's car before driving off.
The officer then took off in pursuit of the vehicle, which took a u-turn and headed down a one-way lane. The officer is then seen trying to get out of the vehicle, but Gaeta continues to back into the police vehicle. It was then that he fired his weapon.
Sixteen seconds later, her vehicle is seen moving forward. The officer opens fire again as Gaeta begins to drive and then tries to turn her, seemingly to escape.
Alex Gaeta Jr., son of Tracy Gaeta stated, "I love my mom and miss her. She was such a warm hearted, kind soul woman. She always saw the light in others and was such a delight to be around. I am so distraught and beside myself trying to understand why such a violent excessive use of force was used to handle this situation. I just want justice for my mother".
According to a policy adopted by the Stockton Police Department in 2019, officers are "generally" restricted from firing at fleeing vehicles.
"Like too many Black women across this country, Tracy Gaeta is yet another victim of preventable police violence," Gwilliam continued.
Tressie Gaeta, daughter of Tracy Gaeta, has been left distraught and without her beloved mother.
"My mother, Tracy Gaeta, was a loving, caring mother and grandmother to my children and to everyone that she knew. She was the life of the party, and always knew how to put a smile on your face," she said in a statement. "She loved spending time with her grandchildren taking them to beaches and amusement parks. My children and I are going to miss her tremendously. I hope that we can find justice because she did not deserve to die like that".