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Video: Knife-wielding woman attacks Fla. deputies after calling 911

The woman told Orange County dispatchers that she had been strangled; when officers arrived and entered her apartment, the 19-year-old attacked them with a knife

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orange County Sheriff’s Office released body-worn camera footage showing the moment a woman emerged with a knife after calling 911 to say she had been strangled, WESH reported.

The May 7 incident unfolded when deputies were dispatched to a second-floor apartment in the after a 19-year-old suspect claimed she had been battered and strangled. Upon arrival, deputies reported hearing screaming from inside the apartment and believed the woman was crying out for help.

According to the released footage, deputies knocked and attempted to make contact for several minutes before breaching the front door. Once the door was breached, they did not immediately enter, continuing instead to call out and listen for further sounds from inside. After about six minutes, more screaming was heard from deeper in the apartment, prompting deputies to begin clearing the interior.

As deputies moved through the apartment, a person wearing a dark hoodie, later identified as the 911 caller, suddenly appeared and began lunging at deputies with a knife, attempting to stab them. In response, two deputies fired their weapons, striking the woman, video shows.

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Deputies immediately rendered aid on scene. The suspect was transported to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Authorities now believe the woman was alone in the apartment, despite her initial claims in the 911 call that someone else had harmed her. It remains unclear what prompted the call or the events leading up to the confrontation.

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Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com