Police Brutality / Individual record
Sahlah Ridgeway
The Washington Post's Fatal Force database records Sahlah Ridgeway in a fatal on-duty police shooting on 2016-02-12 in Syracuse, NY. Individual circumstances and legal outcome require case-specific review.
- Record ID
- PB-362
- Incident date
- February 12, 2016
- Outcome
- Fatal
- Location
- Syracuse, NY
- Agency
- Syracuse Police Department
- Category
- Fatal on-duty police shooting
- Age (reported)
- 32
What happened
Sahlah Ridgeway, 32, was shot and killed by Syracuse, New York, police outside the Kimton Place Apartments on February 12, 2016. Officers Darrin Ettinger and Jeremy Decker responded to a reported drug complaint. Prosecutors said Ridgeway held a sawed-off shotgun, ran around the building and failed to lower it when officers called to her. Ettinger fired two shots after authorities said she pointed the firearm toward Decker. A grand jury declined to charge either officer in May 2016, and the district attorney released video. Ridgeway’s mother questioned the killing and pursued civil claims; city financial disclosures subsequently described litigation brought by her estate alleging excessive force and inadequate medical care. The no-charge decision and the family's allegations are distinct legal records.
Investigation & findings
Individual legal and investigative outcome not yet reviewed.
Washington Post Fatal Force v2; 2015–2024
Source record details
- Source incident ID
- 1276
- Race code in source
- B
- Race source method
- not_available
- Gender (source)
- female
- Armed status (source)
- gun
- Flee status (source)
- not
- Agency IDs (source)
- 1122
Sources & records
- Primary source
- Additional source
- Methodology and national police killings trackingMapping Police Violence · Dataset/methodology
- Fatal Force v2 — fatal on-duty police shootings, 2015–2024The Washington Post · Dataset