Officer Shoots Hatchet-Wielding Woman at Chippewa County Store

LAKE HALLIE, Wis. - (WISC 3000) Authorities said a police officer fatally shot a hatchet-wielding woman inside a western Wisconsin Wal-Mart store.

Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk said the developmentally-disabled woman was shopping Friday with chaperones at the Wal-Mart in Lake Hallie, which is between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. Police were called around 5 p.m. after she grabbed a hatchet off a shelf and began swinging it around.

The sheriff said a Lake Hallie police officer shot her twice after she refused to drop the hatchet and lunged at the officer. She was taken to an Eau Claire hospital with wounds to the abdomen and thigh.

Chippewa County Coroner Ronald Patten said Saturday that the 25-year-old woman died Friday night. He said an autopsy is planned for Sunday.

The woman's name has not been released.

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