The lady had a BB gun that looked very realistic to Deputes that showed up to her home. Here is part of the story: Authorities say two sheriff's deputies fatally shot a woman who pointed what turned out to be a BB gun at them in a residential neighborhood in western Tennessee. A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman said a 59-year-old lady died Friday after being shot by Shelby County Sheriff's Office deputies in a subdivision in Lakeland, just east of Memphis. The TFBI spokesman said she had called 911 Friday, making disturbing statements and threatening violence toward anyone who came to her house. The spokesman said that three deputies responded, and the lady exited her house when they arrived. He says she took out what appeared to be a real handgun and pointed it at the deputies. Two of them opened fire, killing her. The spokesman says it was determined after the shooting that the lady was holding a BB gun. He says the BB gun looked "an awful lot" like a real gun and "it was presumably very easy for these deputies to think that this was a more dangerous situation than a BB gun." My feelings, these Deputies had every right to fire their service weapons. I've been to both Toys R Us and Walmart and seen both toy and BB handguns that looked exactly like a real handgun. These people want to die, but "by cop". They hate cops? Sure looks that way.
Sad story - she was obviously mentally disturbed and it cost her life I guess they had no choice Its obvious not to point a gun at the police
Article didn't state any mental issues, but investigation is ongoing. What seems to be very obvious is that she wanted to die. Yes, in this "day and age" officers will shoot when a gun is pointed at them. This isn't tv or the movies when a cop, pointing his service weapon at a person, will command the person, pointing a gun at them, "drop it". The officers will fire.
In such a situation, where the gun is actually pointed at them, the police don't have a lot of time to try to figure out whether it's real or not. I have a pellet gun that looks very much like a real handgun, and there are a lot of them for sale. I have no problem with the sale of realistic looking toys, but parents and (apparently) adults need to be aware that the police may consider them to be real, as this woman probably did.
We had a similar situation a year or so ago, and it happened in the small Idaho town where I grew up. I don't think this lady was trying to commit suicide though, she was just very upset and hysterical and didn't realize what she was doing. Apparently, her husband was concerned that she might hurt herself because she was so upset, and he took her to the local hospital to try and get medical help for her. Not wanting to take her inside the hospital in that condition, he left her outside while he went in to find help. Because she was screaming and hollering, someone called the police and they responded. She had a small kitchen knife (probably why her husband was afraid she might harm herself in the first place), and when the police ordered her to put the knife down; she panicked and started running away. The police had her surrounded, so no matter which way she ran, she would have had law enforcement there, and since she was running towards the officers, knife in hand, they started shooting at her. She ended up dead, and riddled with bullets, and her husband was understandably devastated by what happened. Although the police have to be able to defend themself in situations like this, it seems like 5-6 police could have easily overpowered one hysterical woman, even with a knife. She was not combative, just traumatized and scared and ran without thinking. There didn't used to be this kind of thing happening as much as it does now. Even kids and pets are often shot and killed when it is not necessary. Using deadly force should be the final alternative in most cases, in my opinion.
What is happening a lot here in Fresno is not suicide by cop but there's been quite a few people hit by cars...one very close to my house...actually 2 near me. Most weren't hit and runs either, the people got out of their cars to try and help the person. I think one news article even called it suicide by car.
Well, since none of us have ever been cops, we really don't know the real danger they are in when a gun is pointed at them or when a dog gets aggressive towards them. It's a split-second decision they have to make. "Do I shoot or do I get shot and possibly die?"