Person armed with knife shot by Baltimore Police during mental health response

A person armed with a knife was shot by a Baltimore Police officer Monday during a response to a mental health crisis, department officials said. 

The incident occurred in the 1100 block of Park Avenue near the Bolton Hill neighborhood around 11 a.m.

Emergency response 

According to officials, police were called for a welfare check, a report of a disorderly person and a report of an armed person. Once they arrived on scene, officers found many of the residents outside due to a fire alarm being pulled. 

Officers found 48-year-old Autumn Elizabeth Denny armed with a knife, attempting to harm people, Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. 

Worley said Denny was in the hallway of the building, screaming, before she retreated into an apartment. An officer waited in the hallway for backup to arrive. 

Denny eventually left the apartment, and was holding a knife in one hand an electrical stun stick in the other, police said. Officers tried to de-escalate the situation and commanded Denny to drop the items. 

Denny did not comply, according to officials, prompting police to deploy tazers, which had no effect. 

An officer then fired their weapon, hitting Denny two times in the leg, Worley said. 

Denny eventually dropped the knife and was taken into custody. Immediate medical care was provided, and she was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

According to Worley, the ambulance had to pull over due to Denny's combative behavior during transportation. 

Denny was charged with assault and weapons offenses, according to police. 

No other injuries were reported, officials said. 

"We are a different department now," Worley said Monday. "In the past, it would have turned out a lot different. Our officers showed the great training that we have to de-escalate a situation. Even after the individual came at them with a knife, they still tried to de-escalate."