A Tucson woman killed in a confrontation with law enforcement Saturday doused sheriff's deputies with a potent pepper spray intended for use in wild bear attacks just before she was shot, authorities said Tuesday.
Amanda Alvarez, 38, unloaded a can of Counter Assault Bear Deterrent — billed by the manufacturer as "Grizzly Tough" — on deputies responding to a report that she had assaulted a neighbor with a two-by-four, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a case update.
Alvarez "had an extensive criminal history" and had an active felony warrant out for her arrest at the time of the shooting. A week prior, she "was involved in the attempted stabbing of a deputy using an arrow," a news release said.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. Saturday in the 4700 block of West Camino Tierra, near West Los Reales Road and South Camino de Oeste.
The deputy involved in the shooting, identified as Samuel Herrera, has been on the job for about 18 months.
He another other deputies were treated at the scene for "chemical exposure," the sheriff's department said.
The shooting investigation is ongoing.
