A woman was shot and killed by San Diego law enforcement after she stabbed a San Diego Police Department officer in the chest Thursday in Little Italy, according to SDPD.
The incident took place at around 12:30 p.m. in the 400 block of W. Beech Street in Little Italy.
San Diego County Sheriff deputies were serving "civil process paperwork" to a woman at the Aqua Vista condo complex when, according to SDPD Lt. Matt Dobbs, the woman came out with a knife. She refused to surrender to deputies and went back inside.
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Deputies asked for assistance from SDPD K9 handlers and tried to communicate with the woman for the next 45 minutes before they went inside her condo.
While inside, an SDPD K9 officer was stabbed in the chest with a "large chef's knife" which prompted three SDSO deputies and one SDPD officer to shoot at the woman, Dobbs said during a news conference hours after the shooting.
The 47-year-old woman was struck at least once and died at the scene, according to Dobbs. She has not been identified.
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The Psychological Emergency Response Team (PERT) was called to the scene, but Dobbs couldn't say if PERT members had arrived before the conflict.
"They had less-lethal options there, they had contacted PERT regarding the female. As far as what role those resources played, I don't know, though," Dobbs said.
In a press release sent out after the news conference, Dobbs said, "When the appropriate resources were gathered, a plan was developed, and the front door was opened to contact the woman."
James Dean, a former HOA board member at the complex, told NBC 7 the woman suffered emotional and mental disorders and had frequent loud, incoherent outbursts and was well-known to SDPD.
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"Horrible. Horrible. I just feel horrible. It shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have happened," Dean said.
Dobbs said there was no language barrier between the woman and officers that he was aware of.
"When I saw the police officers with weapons drawn outside her door, I knew it was going to happen and I'm just so frustrated," Dean said. "I just knew that force wasn't going to be the answer. You have to talk the person down."
Dobbs said the woman had threatened a custodial worker at the building on Wednesday.
The injured K9 officer was treated at UC San Diego Medical Center for his injuries and has since been released. He was wearing a protective vest but was stabbed above it in his upper chest, according to Dobbs.
The shooting is under investigation by SDPD's homicide unit. When the investigation is finished, it will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to determine if the officers bear any criminal liability for their actions.
The SDSO will be assisting in the investigation and will conduct an administrative investigation into their deputies’ discharge of their firearms.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
No other information was available.
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