Woman killed in police shooting died from multiple gunshots by one officer

NORTHFIELD - The Attorney Generals Office gave a fuller account of the officer-involved shooting in Northfield on Monday that left a 27-year-old woman dead.

The latest statement reveals that at around 12:10 a.m. Northfield and Tilton police officers responded to a 911 call from an apartment at 20 Vine Street for a report of a domestic disturbance of one adult female resident striking another resident with a fire extinguisher. According to the release, the caller told dispatchers that the female resident, Megan L. Whiting, 27, was striking the caller's girlfriend, smashing objects as well as breaking a window. Dispatchers heard yelling in the background during the call.

When officers arrived from Northfield and Tilton Police departments in about six minutes they saw from the doorway of the apartment that Whiting was armed with a knife within close proximity of an injured female resident.

Police repeatedly instructed Whiting to drop her knife. During this time one officer discharged his firearm and Whiting was struck, according to the AG's statement. Officers were then able to safely remove the injured female from the apartment and separate the knife from Whiting. She was later pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy this afternoon and was able to determine that Whiting's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was homicide.

Pursuant to protocol, the names of the officers involved in the incident are being withheld pending the conclusion of formal interviews. The release added that one of the initial responding officers did have a body camera.

Additional information will not be released until after the interview is completed with the officer who discharged his firearm.