Heba Momtaz Alazhari, 22

Temple Terrace, Florida
May 29, 2020

Agencies: Florida Department of Law Enforcement FDLE | Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Florida | Temple Terrace Police Department Florida

Cause of death: Shooting

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Last updated: almost 4 years ago

Overview

Police officers shot and killed a woman who charged at one of them with a butcher knife outside of City Hall on Friday afternoon, officials said.

“Had no alternative but to shoot,” said Temple Terrace police Chief Kenneth Albano at a news conference held after the incident.

The woman was identified as 21-year-old Heba Momtaz Alazhari, police said.

Spectrum Bay News 9 reported that she is the sister of Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari, a 23-year-old Tampa man arrested earlier this week by the FBI on a federal charge of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State group. Two people speaking on behalf of the family confirmed that to the Tampa Bay Times.

The incident took place at about 1 p.m. The woman arrived at City Hall and asked for an officer’s help, officials said. Then when a uniformed officer went outside, the chief said she charged at him with a knife for “unknown reasons."

She was quickly shot by officers, officials said. The chief did not say how many officers were involved, how many fired their weapons or how many times the woman was shot. The officer who was attacked did fire his weapon, Albano said.

A security camera outside City Hall captured the first 30 seconds of the confrontation. There is no sound, but Albano said he heard the officer shouting at the woman to "drop the knife, drop the knife” several times before she was shot.

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