Parents seek justice in Sedalia deputy shooting as new PBS documentary short debuts

On June 13, 2020, a sheriff’s deputy in Sedalia, Missouri, pulled Hannah Fizer over for speeding. Minutes later, the officer fatally shot Fizer. Both Fizer and the Pettis County deputy who shot her were white, a common dynamic in police shootings that occur in predominantly white, rural parts of the country. Contrary to the deputy’s claim that Hannah threatened him with a gun, no gun was ever found and Fizer’s family insisted she never threatened anyone in her life. A special prosecutor, Stephen Sokoloff, ruled that the shooting was avoidable but justified, prompting local protests. In November 2020, voters ousted Kevin Bonds, the local sheriff who had defended the shooting. New Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders immediately fired the deputy who had killed the 25-year-old Fizer and reinstated required use of body cameras.

Hannah’s father, John, considers himself “pro-police” and recalls that Hannah had been considering a career in law enforcement, but he believes his daughter’s shooting was a gross miscarriage of justice. The Fizer family has filed a wrongful death suit against the former deputy, Jordan Schutte. Special prosecutor Sokoloff argues that he had no choice but to clear the deputy sheriff under Missouri law. He says that if officers insist their life is being threatened, and there is no body camera or other evidence to clearly contradict them, then existing law allows them to use deadly force. It is, for now, a case of an officer’s word against a defendant who can no longer speak for herself.

“Pulled Over: The Hannah Fizer Case,” directed and produced by Orlando de Guzman, looks at the killing and its aftermath.

This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 5:00 AM.