Police say the "only true victim" was the fetus and charged Marshae Jones because they say she instigated the fight that led to the shooting.

Manslaughter Charge Dropped Against Woman Who Had Miscarriage After Getting Shot In Stomach

Outrage has erupted online after the news broke that a pregnant Alabama woman who was shot in the stomach, an incident which led to her having a miscarriage, is being charged with manslaughter in her unborn baby's death while her alleged shooter had her charges dismissed.

Marshae Jones, 27, of Birmingham, was indicted by a grand jury on a manslaughter charge and arrested Wednesday, the Alabama Media Group reports. The charges stem from a 2018 shooting in Pleasant Grove where Jones, then five months pregnant, was shot in the stomach near a Dollar General store. She had a miscarriage as a result, according to the Washington Post.

The alleged shooter Ebony Jemison, 23, was initially charged with manslaughter but a grand jury failed to indict her. Investigators say she acted in self-defense and that it was Jones who triggered the fight.

Marshae Jones Photo: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

“The investigation showed that the only true victim in this was the unborn baby,’’ Pleasant Grove Police Lt. Danny Reid told the Alabama outlet at the time of the shooting. “It was the mother of the child who initiated and continued the fight which resulted in the death of her own unborn baby.”

He claimed the fight was over the child’s father.

Ebony Jemison Photo: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

“When a 5-month pregnant woman initiates a fight and attacks another person, I believe some responsibility lies with her as to any injury to her unborn child,’’ Reid told the outlet. “That child is dependent on its mother to try to keep it from harm, and she shouldn’t seek out unnecessary physical altercations.”

The story has gone viral this week, with people taking to social media to share their outrage over the grand jury decision and Reid’s comments.

Today, Marshae Jones was indicted for homicide when someone shot her in the stomach while she was pregnant, ending her pregnancy. They said she "started it." The shooter went free. This what 2019 looks like for a pregnant woman of color without means in a red state. This is now. — ilyse hogue (@ilyseh) June 27, 2019

Marshae Jones could’ve died, but the county’s police lieutenant says “that the only true victim in this was the unborn baby.” These people are drunk with power and it is only going to get worse. — Evette Dionne 🏁 (@freeblackgirl) June 27, 2019