Cop fatally shoots woman with knife in Queens, chief says

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Police shot and killed a woman at a home in Maspeth, Queens, September 17, 2018. (WNYW/Fox5NY.com)

Police officers responding to a 911 call of an armed burglar inside a home in Queens fatally shot a woman who lunged at them with a knife, an NYPD official said.

Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea told reporters Monday night that the woman herself reported the burglary and met responding officers outside a two-family home in Maspeth at about 5:30 p.m. She told the cops that she believed the burglar was armed with a knife or a razor.

When officers entered the home, the woman followed behind, Shea said. She then grabbed a knife and lunged at the officers, according to preliminary information, Shea said.

The officers said the woman, 54, ignored their commands to drop the knife, Shea said. One cop fired three times, hitting her in the chest.

The officers "rendered aid," Shea said, but the woman died.

Cops recovered a 10-inch knife.

The woman's longtime boyfriend told FOX 5 News that Susan Muller was struggling with alcohol addiction.

"She was a beautiful person. We talked about a lot of things. One of the last things we talked about was the movie 'Bill W', all about alcoholism. Susan would have really appreciated that because she had a problem and I have a problem," said Ed Rogers.