UPDATE: Woman fatally shot by Syracuse police on Tipperary Hill identified
Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse police responding to a call of a woman with a knife early Wednesday on Tipperary Hill ended up fatally shooting her when she charged them with the knife, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Police officers -- some trained in crisis response -- communicated with the woman after arriving outside 216 Ulster St., the AG’s office said in a news release Wednesday. At some point, she’s accused of setting a fire, then charging officers with the knife.
Initial reports from the 1:38 a.m. incident indicated that the woman had an eight-inch knife.
“At least one member of (Syracuse police) shot the individual,” the AG’s release said. “She was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead at 4:01 am.”
The AG’s office did not name the woman.
The AG’s office of special investigations took over the probe from local law enforcement under state law empowering the office to investigate any police-involved shooting death.
The AG’s investigation is ongoing.
Local law enforcement declined to release any details about the incident, instead relying on the AG’s office to release information.
It remains unclear how many officers fired their weapons, how many times the woman was shot, where in the residence the shooting occurred and how much damage was left by the fire.
The Syracuse Fire Department declined to release any information about the fire.
Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070.