Police: Austin officer shoots woman armed with knife

Austin police on Thursday shot and killed a woman they say was armed with a knife.

Police Chief Brian Manley said the woman was reportedly intoxicated when officers encountered her before dawn Thursday. Manley said officers ordered the woman to drop the knife but she refused and continued to walk toward them, prompting one officer to open fire. Manley said the woman had not been identified but authorities believe she is 18 years old based off information from witnesses.

He described the fatal shooting as a "tragic incident" for the community and the department.

"This is not a situation that any officer wants to find themselves in," he said.

Manley said police were responding after a 911 caller reported that her cousin was intoxicated, armed with a knife and chasing her through the neighborhood. According to the caller, she and a few others were hiding, "because she felt like if the suspect found them that she would stab them," the police chief said.

The cousin also told authorities that the woman had assaulted three people who had tried to contain her.

Upon confronting the woman inside the residence, officers "immediately" ordered her to drop a knife, according to Manley. He said body camera footage shows police backing up. But, he reported the woman continued to walk toward the officers.

The officer who opened fire has been with the Austin Police Department for two years and was placed on administrative status, which is standard in such cases. The officer's name was not released.

The department said it was the sixth officer-involved shooting for Austin police this year.