Darvet Brown: Woman fatally shot in police encounter after brandishing gun at 3-year-old child

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA: San Bernardino police shot and killed Darvet Brown, a 35-year-old woman, after she allegedly pointed a gun at a 3-year-old child inside an apartment on East 21st Street.

The harrowing encounter occurred on Sunday, December 10, around 8 am when officers responded to a call from a grandmother who reported a woman threatening her 3-year-old grandson.

What prompted the fatal confrontation?

Upon arrival, officers were informed that the armed suspect, Brown, had already discharged the firearm inside the residence. The grandmother expressed concern for her grandson's safety. As officers conversed with the grandmother, they observed Brown emerging onto the balcony, pointing a gun at them, and then retreating inside while locking the door.

In a swift and decisive action, officers forcibly entered the apartment, discovering Brown standing on a bed and pointing a gun at the child seated below her. Fearing for the boy's life, the officers fired shots, injuring Brown. Despite being wounded, she reportedly refused to drop the weapon, prompting officers to fire again. They then entered the apartment to safely extract the child.

What was the motive behind the callous act of violence?

Tragically, Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. The motive behind her actions remains under investigation, and it has been clarified that she was not related to the child. San Bernardino police released a still image from bodycam footage, depicting the critical moment when Brown allegedly brandished the firearm on the bed.

Addressing the incident, law enforcement expert Bruce Thomas, a retired investigator from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, emphasized, "This is the kind of incident that ultimately results in an OIS - officer-involved shooting - that sticks with you your entire career and beyond."

"You don't really know what's going on, but you've been told, you hear, and once you kick in the door and go in - that first officer who engages the suspect, that is just heroic, beyond heroic."