California cops shot and killed a man and woman Sunday after finding them unconscious in a car and spending 45 minutes trying to “deescalate the situation” before they “felt threatened,” according to Inglewood Mayor James Butts, a former police chief.
But Butts did not explain how Inglewood police felt threatened by an unconscious couple before opening fire on the couple.
All he said was that the woman, Kisha Micheal, had a gun in her right hand, which is what police have been saying all along.
However, Michael’s family said she did not even own a gun.
And as more details emerge from the incident, it certainly appears that things are just not adding up.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times described the incident as a [__“confrontation__](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-inglewood-police-shoot-man-woman-20160221-story.html)” with “suspects,” basing their report on information obtained from police.
On Monday, after attending a press conference and speaking to family members, the Los Angeles Times was no longer describing it as a confrontation but as a “mystery,” [__quoting Micheal’s sister,__](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-family-of-woman-killed-by-inglewood-police-demand-answers-20160222-story.html) who stressed her sister did not even own a gun.
And on Tuesday, [__NBC Los Angeles__](http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/couple-killed-inglewood-police-shooting-asleep-mayor-butts-369902981.html) reported that Mayor Butts admitted that the man and woman were not even awake – a tiny detail that was overlooked by police when they initially described their so-called confrontation.
> For at least 45 minutes, police attempted “to rouse” them in an effort “to de-escalate the situation,” said Butts. It is the first public explanation for what transpired early Sunday morning during the time between the initial call and the shooting. Police previously had stated responding officers saw the woman had a gun, retreated to behind cover, and then gave orders for the couple to exit the vehicle.
> “Obviously at some point they were conscious because somebody felt threatened,” said Butts, a retired law enforcement officer who previously had served as police chief in other cities. He said it is important for police to finish their investigation, and verify facts, before commenting further.
Other details emerging Tuesday was that Michael was out with a man named Marquintan Sandlin, a 32-year-old single father of four daughters. Michael was a single mother of three sons.
The two were apparently out on a date, having left their children in the care of family members. But it appears as if they had too much to drink and ended up passing out, which drew the attention of police, who claimed the woman was holding a gun.
That prompted them to call the SWAT team and at least one armored car, who began ordering them through a megaphone to wake up and exit the car.
At one point, the couple apparently did wake up, which led to the gunshots.
