Police say they were forced to fire on a Brooklyn woman who attacked a police officer with a 12-inch kitchen knife.
The altercation happened in the Carnasie section of Brooklyn around 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Police responded to the apartment, located just of Remsen and Avenue K, because a 911 caller complained of loud banging and a possible gas leak.
When officers arrived, the door was locked so they forced their way into the apartment. All four burners of the kitchen stove were on, causing the apartment to fill with gas, police said.
The 48-year-old woman who lived in the apartment allegedly lunged at one of the officers with a knife, slashing him on both hands. Two other officers who were inside fired a total of five times at the woman.
"You wouldn’t use a taser in a glass-enclosed space," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said in defense of his officers.
Eyewitnesses said they heard loud popping sounds coming from the apartment but did not think they were gunshots.
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Kelly said police received six calls since March 31 concerning the woman and an ongoing dispute with her landlord.
It's unclear why the woman attacked the officer. Police have not released her name.
The injured officer was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he is recovering from knife wounds to the hand.
