Officials: W.Va. Woman Armed With Hammer Dies After Police Shooting
WELCH, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia State Police say a woman who died after being shot at by two troopers was armed with a claw hammer and lunged at an officer in a threatening manner.
News outlets report police identified her Friday as 49-year-old Shawna Widemann of Welch.
Police responded Sunday night to a domestic violence center in Welch after receiving a call about a person armed with a claw hammer banging on the door. Police said in a news release they found Widemann brandishing a claw hammer and that she ignored commands to drop the weapon. The release said she lunged at a trooper before both of the officers fired their weapons. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The troopers are on critical incident leave, and the investigation continues.
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