(Des Moines, IA) -- The Iowa Attorney General's Office says a Webster County Sheriff's deputy was justified in using deadly force last month near Fort Dodge.
Deputies encountered a woman August 4th, in a neighborhood south of the Fort Dodge city limits. Authorities say the woman was armed with two large knives, and was acting erratically. The Sheriff's Office says 39-year-old Melissa Halda rushed toward officers, and Deputy Brett Knippel shot Halda four times, killing her.
Deputies were called to the 15-hundred block of 20th Avenue South in Fort Dodge the evening of August 4th,.
The report from the Iowa Attorney General's Prosecutions Division found the actions of deputy Knippel were entirely, legally justified, and the decision to fire at Halda was reasonable under the circumstances
The report says Knippel and other officers were faced with a deadly threat created by Halda, who was given every opportunity to end the confrontation peacefully. Halda continued the threat by charging at officers.