Omaha police: Woman shot after she threw knife at officer

The tense encounter Tuesday between police and Tiffany D. Terry, 39, came after she assaulted two of her children and a man outside her home, police said.

Based on interviews with witnesses and officers at the scene, as well as recording devices in the officers’ cruisers, the police department released a detailed account of the incident:

Police were called to the house at 1702 S. 50th St. at 4:45 after a report of an assault in progress. Five officers were met by Johnathon Welch, who said he was assaulted by Terry.

Welch said Terry is the mother of his 18-year-old daughter, Bailee Godek. He told police that Terry had assaulted Godek in front of the house and, when he tried to intervene, he was also attacked and had to physically restrain her.

Terry’s 9-year-old son ran to a nearby fire station before officers arrived. Welch’s 12-year-old daughter also was at the scene, as were two neighbor children.

At 4:50 p.m., Officer Emilio Luna knocked on the front door. Twenty-four seconds later, Terry burst from the door screaming expletives.

Terry had three knives with her and raised one arm above her head “in a threatening manner,” police spokesman Kevin Wiese said. Terry lunged toward Luna with knives in both hands, and Luna jumped back from the deck to avoid her. Four other officers, their guns drawn and pointed at Terry, moved closer.

Officers shouted, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife now!” at least eight times over 10 seconds, Wiese said. When she threw one of the knives at Luna, Terry was shot by two officers — seven-year veteran Matthew S. Digilio, 40, and Luna, 23, who graduated from the academy in August.

Terry was struck several times and collapsed.

Chief Todd Schmaderer said Wednesday that the shooting was justified “based on the totality of the circumstances, predicated by Ms. Terry’s actions.”

The three other officers did not fire their guns, Wiese said. They are Brandon S. Braun, 32, a seven-year, one-month veteran; Phillip F. Payton, 27, two-year, five-month veteran; and Jesse L. Walker, 34, who was also part of the class of recruits hired in April.

Terry’s relatives could not be reached Wednesday.

Terry was in critical condition at the Nebraska Medical Center in the hours after she was shot. A hospital representative declined to release her condition Wednesday, but police said they expected that she would be charged with crimes, an indication that they expected her to survive.

It was the first time this year that an Omaha police officer has shot a person.

Last year, four people were shot by Omaha officers. Three died.

Two of those people had guns, one was armed with a knife and one was an employee of a television production company who was shot accidentally at a crime scene.

World-Herald staff writer Alia Conley contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 402-444-3106, emerson.clarridge@owh.com