Florida woman fatally shot by police after reported domestic dispute, as family disputes officers’ timeline of the two shots

The family of Asia Bennett, a 22-year-old Florida woman fatally shot by police, is disputing law enforcement’s account of what happened and demanding the release of the bodycam footage.

Represented by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, her family says Bennett was a victim of domestic violence who was crying out for help, not someone who should have been treated as a threat by the officers who arrived at her home.

According to People, the fatal confrontation happened on Aug. 11, when officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported domestic dispute at Bennett’s residence. According to the sheriff’s office, a man at the scene told officers that Bennett had a knife.

Authorities allege that Bennett came out of the home holding the weapon and refused to follow verbal commands. Police say she then “advanced” toward an officer, prompting the first shot. They further claim that after falling to the ground, Bennett tried to get back up and move toward the officer again, leading to a second fatal shot.

Crump and witnesses are challenging that version of events.

During a press briefing, Crump pointed to witness accounts claiming the two shots were fired almost simultaneously. The family argues that if that is what happened, Bennett would not have had enough time to recover from the first shot and make another move toward the officer before the second shot was fired.

Her loved ones have also questioned why officers did not use a nonlethal option, such as a Taser, to try to subdue her.

The family argues that Bennett was a distressed 22-year-old woman and that officers should have been able to handle the situation without using deadly force, particularly with multiple officers reportedly present at the scene.

Public records and testimony from those who knew Bennett have also painted a picture of a troubled home life in the months before her death. Court documents show a history of domestic violence at the residence. Bennett’s boyfriend was also under an active restraining order that prohibited him from contacting her or going near the property following a previous arrest for domestic battery.

Family friends said Bennett had been trying to escape what they described as a toxic and abusive relationship. They said she often feared for her safety.

One family member wrote on Facebook: “There’s so many different stories about what happened. I know that Asia had to have been very distraught. I honestly don’t know what happened. I do know that she had tried her best to get out of the toxic relationship that she was in. I truly loved her and will miss her.”

Now, Bennett’s death has left her family grieving while also raising questions about how police respond to domestic violence calls when the person at the center of the incident may be in distress.

At the center of all of this is the bodycam footage

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has said the shooting remains under investigation, meaning the footage has not yet been made public. For Bennett’s family and Crump, however, releasing it is the only way to settle the competing accounts of what happened.

They believe the footage could provide answers about Bennett’s final moments and show whether the official account matches what actually happened.