Facebook granted an emergency request from police to take down the account of a woman who was brandishing a shotgun at officer during a seven-hour standoff in Baltimore, it has emerged.

Baltimore County Police officers shot and killed Korryn Gaines, 23, after she barricaded herself inside her apartment in Randallstown with her five-year-old son and aimed a shotgun at officers attempting to serve an arrest warrant.

The boy was in a good condition in hospital after he was injured during the standoff. It was unclear if he was hit by gunfire or shrapnel, police said.

Police Chief Jim Johnson said the department made the emergency request after Gaines posted videos online showing the standoff.

He said that people responded to the videos by encouraging her not to give herself up to police.


The videos, posted on Facebook and Instagram, appeared to show Gaines talking with officers in her doorway and to her son.

In one, she asks her son what the police are trying to do.

He replies: "They trying to kill us."

Gaines then says: "Do you want to go out there?"

Her son replies: "No."

The stand-off began after three officers went to Gaines' apartment on Monday to serve arrest warrants for her and her boyfriend, Kareem Courtney.

Image: A video posted by Gaines showed an armed officer at her apartment door

He left the apartment with a one-year-old boy before the stand-off and was arrested.

Gaines' arrest warrant stemmed from charges during a traffic stop on 10 March, including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Authorities said she was armed with a 12-gauge shotgun that was legally purchased last year, but that during negotiations she pointed it directly at an officer and said, "If you don't leave, I'm going to kill you".

An officer shot at her and Gaines fired two shots, but missed the officers. They then returned fire and killed her, police said.

During the stand-off, Gaines also posted videos from the traffic stop on her Instagram account.

Police said she had been pulled over because she had a cardboard tag instead of a licence plate.

The cardboard tag read: "Any government official who compromises this pursuit of happiness and right to travel will be held criminally responsible and fined, as this is a natural right and freedom."

According to court documents, she told officers who stopped her they were trying to "steal her car", and they would have to "murder" her to get her out of the vehicle.

Facebook policy allows for accounts to be suspended where there is substantial risk of harm.

None of the officers at the scene had body cameras.

Her death has been condemned by supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement after a series of controversial fatal police shootings against black people in the US.