Rochester police officers safely disarm woman with knife on Parsells Avenue

On Saturday evening around 9PM the Rochester Police Department responded to the area of Parsells Avenue and Stout Street for a report of a female having a mental health issue. As officers arrived on scene, they found a female in the roadway attempting to attack officers with a large knife.

The officers initially attempted to de-escalate the situation by talking to the female, which was unsuccessful. Officer then attempted to use a taser, which was also unsuccessful. Officers were able to subdue the female after using a bean bag gun. Once the female was taken into custody, she was taken to a local hospital by AMR to be evaluated.

Rochester Police Department Commander Jeff Lafave said, “Restraint is the theme here, which is amazing in a super stressful situation. They (RPD) did a great job making sure that not only she was safe, but the responding officers and onlookers were safe as well.”

The entire incident lasted about an hour. Commander Lafave advised that the female was taken into custody under a mental hygiene law.

The Rochester Police Department is investigating the incident and further charges could be pending against the female.