HAMBURG, N.Y. — The Town of Hamburg Police have provided more details on the officer-involved shooting that killed a Jamestown woman on February 2.
This account of the events was provided by the Hamburg Police Department. The department currently does not wear body cameras and there were no security cameras in either home, according to Hamburg Police Chief Peter Dienes.
Authorities say the incident started early Friday morning when Lisa Haight allegedly stabbed a passenger in a van on the Thruway, causing serious injury. That transport van was on the way to a methadone clinic in Buffalo.
From there, police say she made her way to a home on Willet Road. They received a call from a resident who stated a female had entered his home and that she was acting "irrationally". The resident told the dispatcher that he was physically fighting to remove Haight from his house. He then told police he was able to remove her from his house, but he believed she went into his shed.
The caller described the woman as a Black or Hispanic woman in her mid-30s, wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans, and was barefoot.
Police say the first officer arrived on the scene shortly after and was informed by the caller that the woman was "out of her mind", "acting crazy" and "possibly on something."
A second officer arrived on scene and they searched the shed and found no one inside.
Officers noticed footprints in the snow and eventually followed them through a yard and creek, and eventually to a house on McKinley Parkway.
Police say officers discovered a back door that was open. A patrol lieutenant permitted them to make entry to the home to make sure the residents of the home were not there and to locate the suspect.
Police say they announced themselves before entering.
Officers reported the house appeared ransacked and drawers were open with items on the floor. Chief Dienes says the house is dark and dimly lit while they are searching the home.
Officers eventually come to a narrow hallway leading to a bathroom. They open the door and find a female, naked and cutting herself with a knife. The officers leave the bathroom and give the woman commands to drop the knife.
Police identified the woman in the bathroom as Lisa L. Haight, 36, of Jamestown.
A third officer, who was securing the perimeter of the house entered the house to assist the two other officers in getting Haight to drop the knife. She eventually dropped the knife and the officers were able to get her out of the tub and to the hallway.
They tried to take her into custody using handcuffs. Officers say she resisted and ran back toward the bathroom, where she picked up an object.
Police say as the officers tried to get Haight into custody, she made slashing and stabbing motions with the object. Chief Dienes says all three officers believed Haight was holding a knife. One of the officers, who has been identified as Sean Gregoire, fired his service-issued gun and struck Haight in the chest with a bullet. Officers administered first aid to control bleeding until paramedics arrived.
Gregoire is a six-year veteran of the Hamburg Police Department and he remains on paid administration leave as the investigation is ongoing.
Police say the object Haight was holding when Officer Gregoire shot her was a pen-light or small flashlight.
Chief Dienes says that based on their investigation of the incident, the officers followed departmental procedures and they believe the use of deadly force by the officers was justified.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James says her office is investigating the shooting.
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