Yvette Smith

Yvette Smith, 47, was shot and killed by Bastrop County deputy Daniel Willis in February 2014 while unarmed at a home where police responded to a disturbance.

What happened

On February 16, 2014, Bastrop County deputies responded to a call concerning an argument between men and a firearm. Yvette Smith opened a door at the residence during the police response, and deputy Daniel Willis fired an assault-style rifle, killing her. Initial official statements suggested she was armed, but the sheriff's office later revised the account as witnesses described her as unarmed. A Texas Ranger testified that deadly force was not reasonable because she possessed nothing resembling a firearm. Family and community advocates criticized the shifting official descriptions and demanded accountability for shooting a woman who posed no demonstrated armed threat.

Investigation & findings

Willis was charged with murder. A 2015 jury deadlocked, and a judge acquitted him after a 2016 retrial. Smith's family reached a reported $1.2 million civil settlement. The acquittal does not change the fact that Smith was unarmed.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records