Woman Accused of Attacking Husband with Hatchet Jailed in Lynwood

A Long Beach woman was in custody this morning at the Lynwood jail on suspicion of attacking her husband while wielding a hatchet.

Melanie Elaine McGhee, 33, was booked into the Long Beach jail Sunday morning on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, with bail set at $500,000, police said. She was then moved to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.

Prosecutors have until Wednesday to decide what charges to file.

Police said officers shot at McGhee at 11:05 p.m. Saturday because she was threatening to kill her husband with a hatchet and refused to put it down. She was not hit.

When officers arrived at the apartment in the 1100 block of Walnut Avenue they saw McGhee standing over her husband with the hatchet, preparing to attack him, police said.

After the shot was fired, McGhee immediately surrendered, police said. Her husband was not hurt.

The officer-involved shooting was under investigation by Long Beach homicide detectives even though no one was hit, officials said.

-- City News Service