Cops: Photo Shows Knife Held By Woman Shot to Death By Santa Clara County Deputies

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department has released a photo of the weapon wielded by a woman shot to death by deputies last weekend.

Investigators say the 61-year-old woman refused repeated demands to drop the plastic-handled steak knife.

MORE: Neighbor, Friend Questions Why Deputies Shot Woman

Last Saturday, deputies responded to a complaint of a woman pounding and breaking glass outside a triplex in the Burbank neighborhood of San Jose.

The sheriff's department says the woman advanced on three deputies and backed one into a corner. The deputy, fearing for her life, fired her gun, killing the older woman, who died at the scene.

The woman has been identified by police as Andrea Naharro-Gionet.

Chris Contreras, a neighbor of Naharro-Gionet’s, questioned the sheriff's office's decision to use deadly force.

"I really think they should have Tasered her," Contreras said.

The officer involved in the shooting has been “specially trained to deal with critical incidents involving those who suffer from mental illness,” according to a release from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.

Naharro-Gionet was on disability with multiple sclerosis, had cancer and recently tested positive for tuberculosis, Contreras said.

MORE: Santa Clara Sheriff's Deputy Shoots, Kills Armed Woman

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