| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Police shoot woman who points handgun at officer
Sunday August 17, 2003SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) Police officers in this comfortable San Francisco suburb shot and killed a woman who pointed a handgun at them during a call to her home, authorities said Saturday.
Cherie Lynn Wallace was shot Friday shortly before 8 p.m., according to San Ramon Police Chief Kathy Samuels.
Samuels said officers went to Wallace's home to check on her well-being after a friend expressed concerns about Wallace's safety.
Officers decided to have Wallace taken to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, but she pointed a handgun at one officer and threatened to shoot him, Samuels said. The officer fired first, hitting Wallace once in the chest, according to authorities.
Wallace, 52, died at a local hospital.
Samuels said police did not know why the woman pointed a gun at the officer, but neighbors said Wallace was unemployed, had endured the breakup of a romantic relationship and seemed lonely.
``She seemed to have a terrible year,'' said Scott Jower, who lives nearby. ``Her world was just crumbling.''
The Contra Costa County district attorney's office and the sheriff's office, which provides police services for San Ramon, were both investigating the shooting.
The officer involved, five-year veteran John Gardenier, was placed on leave, a routine procedure after an officer-involved shooting.
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