DES MOINES – A cop who shot and killed an Iowa woman who was holding two knives won’t face prosecution after he and other law enforcement failed to de-escalate the confrontation.
Melissa Halda, 39, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, was shot four times by officer Brett Knippel back on August fourth at a rural Fort Dodge residence. She was allegedly armed with two knives and behaving erratically. Police claim they could not use a taser due to her size and speed, and at least one cop was stumbling in the grass as Halda moved about. Knippel fired the fatal shots.
The Iowa Attonrey General says the shooting was “entirely justified”.
