Sheriff: Naked, knife-wielding woman killed by Tennessee officer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say a knife-wielding woman shot by a Tennessee police officer has died.
Authorities say Knoxville police officer James Gadd shot 49-year-old Sierra McCouley out of fear for his life Monday afternoon. Gadd was not wounded.
In a statement Tuesday, the Knox County Sheriff's Office said McCouley died at a hospital from her injuries.
The sheriff's office says officers found McCouley standing naked in a street with a military-style knife after receiving a call about a woman who had cut herself and another person. The other person's injuries were not described as life-threatening.
The statement says Gadd fired gunshots in self-defense because the interaction between McCouley and officers escalated. It says Gadd has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the sheriff's office.
