HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Police Department released dashcam and body camera video showing the moments a mother was hit and killed by an officer in northwest Houston a few months ago.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, around 9:50 p.m., a 41-year-old mother who had just gotten off the bus with her three children, was hit and killed when an officer slammed into her on Antoine Dr. near Pinemont.
The dashcam video shows HPD Officer Shelby Kennedy traveling northbound along Antoine when she drove into the group of people standing in the middle of the road. Everyone was able to jump out of the way except for Desire Pool.
Witnesses said Pool may have dropped her bus card in the middle of the street and was bending down to pick it up when she was hit.
In the video, someone could be heard screaming, “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. Oh sh**. Oh, my fu***** God! You didn’t see them?”
Officer Kennedy replied, “No,” shortly before exiting her vehicle and calling for an ambulance while her partner, Rosales, rushed to administer CPR on Pool.
Pool’s children could be heard in the video yelling, “Mom, wake up, please!”
Pool was pronounced dead at the hospital.
HPD investigators said their preliminary investigation showed Kennedy and Rosales were not speeding and Pool failed to yield the right of way to a vehicle.
On Tuesday, KPRC 2 confirmed Kennedy is back on active duty despite the crash being under investigation.
“I was confused as to how that could happen to be honest with you,” said Family friend Tytrea Wyatt-Gray.
Pool’s best friend, Regina Neal, said the mother of four’s family is heartbroken, especially since HPD decided to release the chilling video the day before Thanksgiving.
“The family’s insight is why now? Why right before Thanksgiving? Our hearts have not healed,” Neal said. “Why bring something so tragic up around the holiday time, you know? I feel that it’s an intimidation tactic that the police are trying to use to cover up the wrongful death of my friend.”
Neal said the release of the video traumatized Pool’s children and family all over again.
“Desire was not at fault. Justice needs to be served for Desire,” Neal explained. “You are not going to say it was her fault because she was not at a crosswalk. It’s clear that the officer was not paying attention to the road.”