Oklahoma Woman Killed Fleeing Police in Drug Bust

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #852)
Consequences of Prohibition

An Oklahoma City woman was shot and killed by police as she attempted to drive away from a drug bust and hit an officer on foot earlier this month. Karen Cifuentes, 19, becomes the 33rd person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

[image:1 align:left]The incident occurred September 3, but didn't come to our attention until the passenger in Cifuentes' car was charged last Friday with murder in her death.

According to The Oklahoman, citing law enforcement documents, undercover police witnessed what they thought to be a drug deal in the parking lot of a liquor store. As officers approached, Cifuentes backed the car out of the parking lot at a high rate of speed, mowing down metal poles and jumping the curb as she fled.

The reporting does not make clear whether the undercover officers ever identified themselves as police.

As she drove away down a nearby surface street, she hit an officer on foot, who shot her "as she was accelerating." The reporting does not make clear whether the officer shot her before or after she hit him. An earlier report from KFOR Newschannel 4, however, says Cifuentes struck the officer first and that the officer suffered "minor injuries."

Cifuentes was apparently the girlfriend of passenger Juan Manuel Aguilera Perez, 24, who reportedly threw a bag of cocaine from the car as the pair fled. Perez is now charged with first degree murder, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, and possession of drug proceeds ($400 in cash).

Because Perez's was allegedly in the midst of the commission of a felony -- drug sales -- when police shot Cifuentes, under Oklahoma law he can -- and has been -- charged with murder in her death.

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Comments

Mass_Vocals (not verified)

I personal  see this cop jumping into the path of on going car under investigation   then shooting as for cause   This death is not her boy friend  fault  , it is the drug war and there answer to the drug war  the cops COPS  who kill those who flee  frighten  form arrest   . what we have here 33 citizen again this year  where by police have come to cause  there deaths  because of drug war law  and many citizen refusing  to obey  law but is this reason to kill  in there eyes  it is  ,  ,  The  law enforcement who Continue to give out death sentences  to people who deal in drugs are   thugs  and themselves should be jailed  for there assaults  running down even killing  citizen over a buy is and  was  wrong,  Far form honorable  effect  , or reasonable decision   standing out in  road with gun aiming it  at a person fleeing  then  to shoot  that  person fleeing  over a drug crime is outrageous  even to consider it an assulted ,  by car on the officer  .. When all this should have , could have been handle later  , this is plan for only implement  of a  police state fearing  police  when orders are more importance then life even of so called criminal  act   Now mother is dead  ,future of hre children and some over what few drugs  , you police  all of you   should be place in jail

Mass Vocals

Fri, 09/19/2014 - 3:09pm Permalink

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Source URL: https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2014/sep/15/oklahoma_woman_killed_fleeing_po