Fort Worth officer who ‘perceived deadly threat’ shoots woman who had knife, police say
A Fort Worth police officer late Monday shot a suicidal woman who held a knife at an apartment, the police department said.
The officer was dispatched about 11:30 p.m. to the 5900 block of Greenspoint Drive, in the Woodhaven neighborhood of east Fort Worth, to a suicide attempt in progress.
The caller said she was “trying to kill herself” and was “bleeding out,” according to police. The first officer to arrive met the caller at her apartment door and during their interaction, the civilian picked up a knife, police said.
The officer perceived a deadly threat and shot the woman, who is 20, police said. She was taken to a hospital, and her condition was stable.
The civilian held the knife to the officer, according to the executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, a union that represents officers in legal matters.
Neighbor Aaron Smith told a reporter that before the shooting, the woman argued outdoors with a man. They bickered, and the man left in a vehicle.
Smith, 23, looked from a window down on The Borough apartment complex parking lot after the man left and before the officer arrived. A light attached to the building illuminated the scene.
“It looked like her hands were bleeding,” Smith said of the civilian. “They were glistening with blood.”
Later, an officer’s command to, “put down the knife” was followed by a bang, Smith said.
After the shooting, Smith said, the officer appeared to be upset.
“She was crying. She was a wreck,” Smith said.
Police said they recovered the knife at the scene. No one else was injured.
The police department’s major case and internal affairs units are conducting investigations.
If you or a loved one are experiencing a crisis, call 988, the new, three-digit shortcut that will direct callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
This story was originally published May 23, 2023 at 6:58 AM.
