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Woman killed by police after allegedly threatening officers with knives: SBI

Officers used a stun gun to disarm the woman before she picked up the knives once more and tried to attack them, investigators claim.

LENOIR, N.C. — A woman who allegedly threatened two Lenoir police officers with knives while they were responding to a reported drug overdose was shot and killed by one of the officers, investigators said. 

The Lenoir Police Department responded to a call for service for a possible drug overdose at a home on Starcross Road around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13. When officers got to the home, they attempted to speak with the woman to determine if anyone there needed medical attention. 

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According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the woman became agitated with the officers and pulled out two knives. The officers asked her repeatedly to drop the weapons before one of the officers used a stun gun to disarm her and de-escalate the situation, investigators said. Officers allege the woman dropped the knives for a moment before picking them back up and charging them inside a hallway inside the house. 

One of the officers perceived a lethal threat and shot the woman. Paramedics on the scene rushed her to a Caldwell County hospital where she later died from her injuries. Neither officer was injured during the incident, according to the SBI. 

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On Wednesday, Lenoir Police confirmed the identity of the woman killed as 46-year-old Shellabell Tester. The officer, identified as Sgt. Brandon Macleod, will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. The Lenoir Police Department will conduct a separate investigation to determine whether policies and procedures were followed. 

Macleod has been with the department since December 2010 and is assigned as a patrol officer.

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