A Fresno officer shot a woman in what the police chief later called a hostage situation Thursday morning at a bus stop outside the Manchester Center business and shopping area.
The woman was shot at 10:23 a.m. at the Manchester Transit Center off of Blackstone Avenue used by Fresno Area Express busses.
The woman held a knife to the back of another woman’s neck during the encounter with officers, Police Chief Mindy Casto said in an update.
A FAX bus driver had called police after seeing the woman with a large knife at the bus stop, Casto said. Officers assigned to FAX responded at the bus stop and told the 40-year-old suspect to drop the knife.
“Instead of dropping the knife, she actually approached an elderly female from behind who was having some ambulatory issues and put the knife to the back of her,” Casto said.
An officer with nine years of experience fired one shot to the head area “because they were in such close proximity when the shooting happened,” Casto said.
Officers cut off her backpack, handcuffed her and performed CPR. She was taken to Community Regional Medical Center and was listed in grave condition, Casto said.
Casto said the two women don’t know each other. She added there were numerous witnesses at the time of the shooting.
Casto said she doesn’t know if the suspect had a criminal history.
“I have to tell you, if any of you or your family members were approached by a female with a knife, who’s obviously in distress but dangerous like this, the officer’s decisive actions, who knows what they prevented today. It was very scary.”
A witness told The Bee he heard at least two shots after he dropped off his daughter near the Chipotle restaurant in the parking just to the south of the bus depot.
Traffic was closed on northbound Blackstone at Shields Avenue before authorities opened it up to one lane.
This is the second shooting by Fresno police in 2025. On Jan. 26, an officer shot a person suspected in a home invasion robbery.
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