A Missouri family has reached a $5.8 million settlement with the city of Independence after a police officer shot and killed Maria Pike, 34, and her 11-week-old daughter, Destinii Hope, on Nov. 7, 2024. The family alleged that officers escalated the encounter before a mental-health co-responder could arrive.
Atlanta Black Star reported that Pike’s parents, Tom and Lynne Pike, will receive about $2.9 million, as will Destinii’s father, Mitchell Holder Jr. Officers Jordan White and Chad Cox arrived at the apartment around 1:43 p.m. after a domestic assault report. Holder’s mother, Talisa Coombs, said Pike had hit her, while Holder reportedly gave officers a different account.
