Gresham cat hostage taking incident
The Gresham cat hostage taking incident was an incident involving a woman named Janet M. Smith, who was 28 years old at the time, taking her own Siamese cat hostage at a grocery store on August 21, 1994 in Gresham, Oregon, United States, before she was fatally shot by police after lunging at a police officer. The cat could not be found after the incident, as it was hiding somewhere in the store.[1][2]
| Gresham cat hostage taking incident | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gresham, Oregon, United States |
| Date | August 21, 1994 |
Attack type | Animal hostage taking |
| Weapons | Folding knife |
| Deaths | 1 (the perpetrator) |
| Perpetrator | Janet M. Smith |
Background
Smith suffered from schizophrenia and had been hospitalized months before the incident. She lived with her grandmother a few blocks from the store.[3] She had apparently been at the store twice before the incident, saying that she was "a diabetic", and that her grandmother "was a Satan worshipper".[4]
Incident
On August 21, 1994, 28-year-old Janet M. Smith entered a grocery store at about 1:10 p.m. with her cat in her arms, holding a folding knife with a 6-inch blade.[3] She said she was thirsty and got a lemon lime soda, and requested someone to call police for her, because someone was following her.[3] She then sat down against the soda cooler, still clutching the knife and the cat. According to cashier Mandy Kerr, she said "she didn’t want to do any harm".[4] Managers blockaded the aisle at either end with rows of shopping carts, moved bystanders away, and called police. Five police officers arrived. When officers asked her to drop the knife, Smith threatened to kill the cat.[4][3] She then got up and began walking towards the police officers, who sprayed her with three cans of pepper mace in an attempt to stop her. She then raised her knife above her head and charged at the police. She was then shot two or three times by one police officer, witnesses said, and then dropped the cat.[4][3] Also according to witnesses, store employee Amnt Chatelin said she was shot in the throat and in the chest.[4]
Aftermath
Police spokesman Sgt. David Lerwick justified the shooting, saying they "had no choice" and that "the knife was a deadly weapon. It could kill."[4][3] Animal control officers were called, but they couldn't find the cat immediately after the shooting.[4] Smith's grandmother, Mary Smith, spent one hour talking about the shooting saying "I don't know why they had to shoot her. She wouldn't harm a fly."[4] The police officer involved in the shooting was placed on routine administrative leave while the incident was reviewed.[4]
References
- Police Kill Woman Holding Cat, Seattle Times (August 22, 1994)
- Cat-Hostage Holder Is Shot, New York Times (August 23, 1994)
- Police Shoot Woman Threatening Cat With Knife, Associated Press (August 22, 1994)
- "Police shoot woman in Gresham Grocery". Albany Democrat-Herald. August 22, 1994.