The incident resulted in the death of 34-year-old Chau Duncan. Had Duncan survived her injuries, she would have been arrested for four counts of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.
 
On October 10th, JSO’s emergency communications center received a call reporting a woman dressed in a purple jumpsuit was waving a firearm in the air. Officers responded to the scene, but the subject was not there. An hour later, another call came in, saying a woman wearing all purple pointed a gun at a man in the same area. Officers responded but could not locate the subject.
 
The next day, another call came in, saying a woman wearing a purple sweatsuit pointed a gun at a man. Officers E. Cobian and J. Curtis responded to the scene and found Duncan, who was yelling and throwing things. Officers repeatedly asked her to stop as she walked away from them, show her hands, and stop reaching into her bag. Duncan did not comply with those orders.
 
The officers devised a plan to approach the potentially armed Duncan using a patrol car. Officer Cobian drove slowly down the street toward Duncan while Officers Curtis and J. Boykin walked behind it. Duncan reached an intersection and pulled her firearm from her bag. She pointed it at the officers and fired a round, striking the driver’s side door of the patrol vehicle. Officers Curtis, Boykin, and B. Herrin simultaneously fired, striking Duncan.
 
Duncan fell to the ground, dropping the firearm. Once she was handcuffed, paramedics rendered emergency medical aid. She was pronounced deceased on scene.
 
The State Attorney’s Office will independently review the incident to assess the legality of the officers’ actions. JSO will then conduct an internal review to ensure the officers acted within policy. Conclusions remain pending.

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Information, as it becomes available regarding this Officer-Involved Shooting, will be posted on JSO's Transparency page.

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