Woman Shot Dead After Pointing Gun at Officer
A police officer shot and killed a woman who pointed a handgun at him during a call to her home, authorities said Saturday.
Cherie Lynn Wallace, 52, was shot shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, said Police Chief Kathy Samuels. She said officers went to Wallace’s home to check on her well-being after a friend expressed concerns about Wallace’s safety.
The officers decided to have Wallace taken to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, but she pointed a handgun at Officer John Gardenier and threatened to shoot him, Samuels said. The officer fired first, hitting Wallace once in the chest, police said.
The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office, which provides police services for San Ramon, were investigating. Gardenier, a five-year veteran, was placed on leave, a routine procedure after an officer-involved shooting.
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