A 70-year-old woman was shot and killed by officers after she lunged at them with a knife Wednesday in West Baltimore, police say.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said officers responded to a home in the 2700 block of Mosher Street where a woman was having a behavioral health crisis.

At some point, according to Worley, the woman pulled out a knife and, after disregarding commands, she attacked officers with the weapon.

Worley said officers attempted to tase the woman, which was ineffective, and she continued to go after the officers with the knife.

An officer fell, and the woman lunged at him with the knife, which prompted another officer to fire two shots at the woman, who was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The officer is being treated at a hospital.

Worley said there have been more than 20 calls to the home this year, including for behavioral health crises.

"I think this is a nationwide crisis with behavioral health crisis. Unfortunately, too many of them end up with the use of force," Worley said. "We've done an excellent job with training our officers, getting them to de-escalate these situations. Unfortunately, this one, they weren't able to de-escalate, and it ended in tragedy.

Neighbors react to the shooting

For several hours, police had crime tape and set up a command center while investigators worked the scene.

Neighbors described the scene and the commotion during the response.

"I was just in the house. I heard the helicopter," said neighbor Keonte Jones. "I heard the helicopter first, and then I started hearing police cars back to back."

Neighbors said it was alarming to witness the scene from their homes.

"I was nervous, I'm still nervous, cause this is too close to my home. It makes me want to move again," said neighbor Julmeala Jung. 

Recent shooting involving police 

The shooting was about two miles away from where a local arabber was shot and killed by police after he shot and injured an officer on June 17 in the Upton neighborhood. 

The death of Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr. remains under investigation. Still, police shared body-cam video of the shooting this week, showing Abdullah running from an officer and pulling a weapon from his bag. 

A firearm was recovered at the scene, police said. 

Non-fatal and fatal incidents involving police in Maryland are typically investigated by the Attorney General's Office, specifically the Independent Investigations Division (IID). 

Five Baltimore County shootings involving police

In Baltimore County, there have been five shootings involving police in 2025.

On May 18, police said 43-year-old Glenn Pettie was shot and killed during a mental health response on North Boundary Road in Dundalk.

In April, a man armed with a bow and arrow was shot and killed by police in Arbutus. Police said the man was wearing a ski mask and shooting at cars with a bow and arrow.

Two officers encountered the man, and during the interaction, one of the officers shot the man, according to the Attorney General's Office.

In March, an alleged gunman was shot in a shootout with officers outside the Wilkens Precinct in Catonsville.

Police allege that Baltimore City elementary school teacher Andrew Britt walked around the facility and exchanged fire with officers. The injured officer was released from the hospital days later.

Police shooting in Howard County

On June 9, a man wielding a double-edged spear died after he was shot and killed by police in Howard County. Police said 23-year-old Micah Booker, from Columbia, stabbed his older brother before fleeing and later approaching an officer with the spear.

Police said Booker was found along Oakland Mills Boulevard, where he didn't comply with an order and was shot by officers.

The involved officer was identified as two-year veteran Michael McKee, who is assigned to the Field Operations Command, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office.