Pittsburgh mother charged with carjacking, holding her children at knifepoint
A Pittsburgh mother is accused of holding her two children at knifepoint Thursday when city police tried to arrest her on charges related to a carjacking.
Police said they found Gwendolyn Gilmore, 48, holding a small dagger — with her 4-year-old son on her back and her 10-year-old daughter sitting next to her — after they tracked Gilmore to the backyard of a home in the 200 block of Moore Avenue in the city's Knoxville neighborhood.
Officer Steven John said when he drew his duty firearm, pointed it at Gilmore and repeatedly ordered her to drop the knife, Gilmore started screaming, "Come home daddy" and "I'll bring fire to this (expletive)," according to a criminal complaint filed by police.
After other officers arrived, John announced he was replacing the gun with a Taser, according to the complaint. Gilmore then wrapped her arms around the children's necks and pulled them close to her chest while still holding the knife, police said.
Gilmore moved the knife against her daughter's neck and crouched low over the children but then changed her position as John shot a Taser cartridge, the complaint states.
John said in the complaint that he "transitioned to my long-range Taser cartridges to reduce the spread of the probes and reduce the chance of harming one of the children."
But, he said, one of the probes struck Gilmore's leg and another probe struck the top of the daughter's head.
After additional Taser shots by multiple officers struck Gilmore, the woman fell back and let go of the children, who were pulled to safety by police, according to John.
The daughter, who had a small cut on her scalp from the Taser probe, went into a seizure and was in and out of consciousness before medics transported her to UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, police said.
The girl was in stable condition before being released into the care of a relative, according to police.
Her brother was evaluated for a bruise on his hip before also being released into the custody of a relative, police said.
John said officers handcuffed Gilmore after a struggle and she kicked at officers while being placed in a patrol car.
After being medically cleared at UPMC Mercy hospital, Gilmore was placed in the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh.
How the incident started
Police said they initially responded to a report of a carjacking shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Knox Avenue and Freeland Street. According to the complaint, a witness told police he saw a woman open the driver's door of a red Chevy Equinox, wrap her arm around the neck of the male driver and pull him from the car before driving off.
Police said the woman had a small child with her riding in the back seat of the stolen car as she fled down Freeland Street toward Arlington Avenue.
The woman, later identified as Gilmore, was seen exiting the car outside The Brashear Association on Brownsville Road, where she demanded to pick up her daughter and was given custody of the girl after a witness said Gilmore screamed and waved a knife, police said.
Officers spotted Gilmore "dragging two children with her" as she walked toward the house on Moore Avenue, according to the complaint.
Gilmore is charged with robbery of a vehicle, endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, resisting arrest and possessing an instrument of crime.
Bail was denied at her preliminary arraignment. She faces a Sept. 25 preliminary hearing in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, John's tactics during the incident will be subjected to an extensive review to ensure reasonable force was used.
