Woman shot, killed by police after pointing gun

PHOENIX - Phoenix police say officers shot and killed a woman after she pointed a handgun at them.

Sgt. Maggie Cox says the shooting occurred Monday around 12:15 a.m. when officers conducting a traffic stop in west Phoenix suddenly heard gunfire.

Cox says a female officer heading toward where the shots were heard was flagged down by a woman. The officer asked the woman if she was armed and to reveal her waistband. Police say the woman said she wasn't armed but appeared to be concealing a weapon on her right side.

According to authorities, she refused other officers' commands and turned toward them while pointing a handgun. Cox says that is when two officers shot her.

Officers gave first aid until paramedics arrived. The 47-year-old woman was pronounced dead at a hospital. Her name was not released. A handgun was recovered.

Cox says none of the officers were injured. The shooting is now under investigation.

The male and female officers who fired their weapons are 26 and 24 years old, respectively, with between three and four years on the job.