Criminal Media Release

District Attorney Nola Tedesco Foulston announces today that her office has completed its review of an incident that occurred on April 17th, 2003 at the Quik Trip located at 13th and Oliver in the city of Wichita, Kansas, that resulted in the stabbing death of 24 year old Temeka Bryant. The Wichita Police Department was the law enforcement agency that investigated the death.

^{FACTUAL SUMMARY}

At approximately 1:20 in the afternoon, Ajalene Wilson, age 19, and her grandmother arrived to get gas at the Quik Trip located at 13th Street and Oliver. A female by the name of Temeka Bryant (24) pulled along side and started to harass Ajalene. Temeka Bryant then removed her car to the front of the Quik Trip. There were many people at that store location at that time.

Prior to this date there had been a troublesome history where Temeka Bryant had stalked and threatened the safety and life of Ajalene Wilson. Ajalene had been seeing a male that she worked with. They had been dating on and off for two years. Temeka had been seeing the same male sporadically for several months in the past.

Temeka began stalking Ajalene at her home and at the home of the male. Threats were made causing Ajalene to make a police report on March 25.

Witnesses reported that Temeka told her the day of the incident [April 17, 2003] that she was going to kill Ajalene. Another witness said that Temeka was going to “get the bitch that day”. The threats included statements that Temeka was going to ”slit” Ajalene’s throat and beat Ajalene up.

Apparently, in addition to the feelings over the boyfriend, Temeka also blamed Ajalene for not being hired by the same business where Ajalene and her boyfriend worked. Actually, Temeka did not pass a drug test at the business and her employment status had nothing to do with Ajalene or her boyfriend. This had occurred on March 24th.

On March 25th, the boyfriend’s mother had confronted Temeka outside the mother’s home when she had threatened to slit Ajalene’s throat at that time. The mother told her to leave Ajalene alone and to stop driving by her home. Ajalene was also present at her boyfriend’s home when the threat was made.

On April 17th, Temeka had apparently followed Ajalene to the Quik Trip and placed her vehicle in the bay next to Ajalene’s car where she was going to pump gas. Ajalene’s grandmother remained in the car while Ajalene went into the Quik Trip to pay in advance. The video from the Quik Trip shows portions of the episode. It reveals that as Ajalene is coming out of the Quik Trip, she is accosted by Temeka and another female. Temeka at that time, tells Ajalene that she is pregnant by her boyfriend, a statement that is not true. Temeka then strikes Ajalene and begins pulling at her hooded jacket. The next video clip shows Ajalene walking back to her vehicle with a knife and she gets into her car. A Wichita State Police officer arrives and apprehends her.

EMS and police arrive to aid Temeka Bryant. She is transported to Wesley Medical Center where she later dies from knife wounds inflicted on her by Ajalene Wilson. Temeka Bryant was not found to have been carrying any weapons.

Ajalene Wilson, in her later interview with police, admits that she was carrying a kitchen knife, and had done so because of her fear of Temeka Bryant and the threats that had been made by Temeka. She believed that her action was only to disable Temeka so that she could get away from her. When she was accosted outside of the Quik Trip, Temeka began hitting her and then pulled the hooded jacket over her head, and continued to strike her. Ajalene was unable to see, and retrieved the knife from her pocket and struck blindly at the aggressor, Temeka. Ajalene believed that she had hit her in the arm with the knife because she had no vision with the hood over her eyes. Temeka Bryant outweighed Ajalene Wilson by approximately 60 pounds.

The video from Quik Trip makes it very clear that Temeka Bryant was the aggressor and witnesses at the scene confirm that Ajalene Wilson was the target of her aggression.

^{LEGAL SUMMARY}

Resolution of this case requires the consideration of several principles involving the use of force in the defense of a person. Under Kansas law, a person is justified in the use of force against an aggressor when and to the extent it appears to her and she reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend herself or another against such aggressor’s imminent use of unlawful force. In this case, the use of force against the deceased, Temeka Bryant, did not constitute an unreasonable or unlawful use of force by a private citizen.

^CONCLUSION

It is the opinion of District Attorney Nola Foulston that under the circumstances of this case the actions of Ajalene Wilson were reasonable, justified and did not constitute a violation of Kansas criminal statutes. Therefore, there will be no criminal charges filed as a result of the stabbing death of Temeka Bryant that was done in self-defense. The use of deadly force is judged on a “case by case” basis. The public’s demand for an end to violence and crime in Sedgwick County is understandable; however, that demand cannot justify the blanket use of deadly force by crime victims. Only such force as is reasonably needed to defend against another’s imminent use of unlawful force will be legally permissible.

^{PHOTOS OF THE SCENE}

The following jpg photos were taken from the Quik Trip video. This video pans the entire area of the outside and captures brief clips of each area for only a few seconds or less. The first clip shows Ajalene Wilson’s cream car at the pump. The second clip shows Temeka Bryant’s red car pulling along side Wilson’s car; the third and fourth clips show the confrontations of Temeka Bryant after Ajalene Wilson leaves the Quik Trip; the fifth clip shows Temeka striking Ajalene; the sixth and seventh clips show Bryant assaulting Wilson and pulling her coat over her head; Clip number 8 shows Ajalene Wilson returning to her vehicle.

 

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