According to police, she ignored repeated commands to drop a knife she was carrying as she approached an officer. That account was confirmed by witnesses who spoke to The Washington Post.
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The video shows Renita Nettles, 22, slowly moving toward the officer as he keeps his gun raised. Arnita Nettles screamed, according to police. The officer’s name has not been released. Police did not provide an update on her condition. The struggle lasted about a minute.
Gregg Pemberton, a spokesman for the D.C. Police Union, told WUSA 9 that the union is standing behind the officer and his actions.
The first officer Nettles punched had a concussion, police said.
The source of confrontation in the Clay Terrace neighborhood is unknown, but many bystanders took photos and videos of the shooting, sharing them on social media, too. The officer fired one round, Lanier said.
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A 22-year-old woman who was shot by DC police over the weekend was holding several knives and a hammer, the Metropolitan Police Department report shows. Nettles was charged with starting that fire, which was still burning when she was shot.
