Easton police shoot and kill woman after wellness check

Police in Massachusetts shot and killed a woman who allegedly had a weapon after a family member requested a wellness check Sunday, authorities said.

Responding officers from the town of Easton found the 56-year-old woman at a home with a weapon, Police Chief Keith Boone said in a statement. He did not specify what kind of weapon she had.

The relative who called 911 shortly before noon said the woman was threatening to harm herself.

After officers had evacuated other residents from the home and set up a perimeter, the woman approached the front door with the weapon, police said.

An Easton police officer fired a single shot.

Members of a regional police response team later entered the home and found the woman dead inside. Her name was not released.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave, and the Bristol County district attorney’s office is investigating, the statement said.