Gun-wielding woman shot by Norwood police after tense standoff expected to recover

NORWOOD, Mass — The gun-wielding woman who was shot by an officer following a standoff at a Norwood business Friday afternoon is expecting to make a full recovery, the department updated Sunday afternoon.

The middle-aged woman, whose name has not been released, is still being treated at a Boston hospital but is expected to be okay, Norwood Police Chief William Brooks posted on social media.

Officers responding to a 911 call for a dispute at Extra Space Storage on Morse Street Friday found a “middle-aged” woman in the parking lot who was holding a gun to her head, Brooks said during a news conference.

Brooks said officers attempted to “negotiate with her to find out what she needed” for about 45 minutes as she held the firearm to her head.

The woman then began to walk around the parking lot and started pointing the gun at officers, according to Brooks. A Norwood officer ultimately fired a single shot, striking the woman in the midsection, when she came out into the street and got too close to where first responders were positioned.

Officers rushed to the woman’s side and rendered aid. She was driven to Norwood Airport, where a medical helicopter flew her to a Boston hospital. There was no immediate word on her condition.

Brooks said investigators are trying to determine why the woman was at Extra Space Storage and how she arrived there.

Brooks also praised his officers for showing restraint during the tense standoff.

“The officers did a remarkable job throughout the entire incident. They were communicating with me and with each other,” Brooks said. “It would have been justified firing much earlier than they did.”

State troopers assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office are assisting Norwood police with an investigation.

There were no additional details available.

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