A woman who was threatening a Baltimore officer with a large knife is shot in the leg
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Baltimore, MD - A 48-year-old woman marched toward officers and threatened them with a large knife, prompting one to open fire and strike her twice in the leg, body camera footage released by Baltimore Police Friday shows.
In the footage, officers debated for several minutes before the nonfatal shooting, at first discussing among themselves whether to forcibly enter the woman’s apartment on the morning of Jan 19.
Autumn Elizabeth Denny, 48, suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the shooting. She was later charged with assault and related weapons charges. Officer Kevin Wilson, who shot Denny, is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, police said Friday.
The footage of the shooting is expected to be part of a continuing debate among City Council members and mental health experts over how Baltimore responds to 911 calls regarding people in mental distress.
In the video, officers at the scene are heard wrestling with the right approach to the behavioral health crisis, noting blood on the apartment door and expressing concern that someone else could be inside the apartment. The video also contains audio, apparently of Denny screaming expletives.
Ultimately, with officers still outside her ninth-floor unit, Denny exited the apartment with a large knife. The officers scrambled backwards, forcing them into a standoff with Denny that ended only after the shooting, as well as a subsequent Tasering when Denny still did not comply with officers’ orders.
Denny was in her apartment on the ninth floor after allegedly pulling the fire alarm, sending residents out into the street, according to police.
Police cleared the hallway and requested protective equipment known as a “bunker” that could shield them from the knife. They also asked for a battering ram in case they needed to bust down the locked door, the video showed.
Officers repeatedly called out to Denny to exit the apartment.
“Come out and talk to us, it’s the police,” an officer called out. “We’ve got to make sure you’re okay.”
At that point in the footage, another officer asked, “Who’s CIT?” — a reference to those in the police department with special training in crisis intervention.
Right after that question, Denny opened the door and screamed out: “God damn pigs!”
“What’s your name?” an officer asked.
“My name is God!” Denny responded.
Denny waved what appeared to be a machete. Officers called out for more space between themselves and the apartment.
Denny then walked out of the apartment with a knife in one hand and what appeared to be a stun gun in her other.
Officers demanded that she drop the weapons. Denny did not, instead stepping forward. In response, Wilson, the officer, fired his weapon twice, striking Denny in the leg.
Denny dropped to the ground, and officers appeared to try to de-escalate the situation before more shots were fired.
“We don’t have to go anywhere, we’ve got time,” one officer told the others. “There’s no one in this hallway.”
Denny moaned, “Kill me. Kill me.”
An officer responded: “We don’t want to do that, we just want to speak to you. Let me know what’s going on today.”
Officers asked Denny if anyone else was in the apartment, and Denny responded that it was just her cats.
“They’re part of me,” Denny said.
“And they take care of you, right?” an officer asked.
“Yes,” Denny replied with a calmer voice.
Denny eventually agreed with the officers to drop the knife. Officers then ordered her to crawl toward them. But Denny rose back up to her feet.
At that point, another officer fired his Taser, striking Denny, who collapsed to the ground, where officers finally handcuffed her as part of her arrest.