DANIA BEACH, Fla. – A woman who was shot Wednesday by a Broward Sheriff's Office deputy sobbed at times in court Thursday as she faced a judge.
Kim Nguyen Cholak, 40, faces four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill.
Cholak appeared in court in a wheelchair and needed an interpreter, as she only speaks Vietnamese.
No family members were present, however she is married and her husband is apparently out of town.
According to Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, the agency had received a report shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday that a woman was armed with either a hatchet or meat cleaver while chasing another woman in the area of Northeast Third Street and Northeast Second Avenue.
He said deputies arrived to find Cholak alone and told her to drop the weapon, at which time she charged at them.
"Our deputies fired several rounds, striking the suspect, and was able to treat her with our fire rescue service," Tony said.
The sheriff confirmed Cholak was shot at least once and was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. Tony said her injuries were not life-threatening. Cholak also received mental health treatment at the hospital under the state's Baker Act.
Authorities said Cholak later told deputies that she was the person who called authorities and made up the attack to provoke them into shooting her.
"I want to die. I have so many sins," Cholak told the judge Thursday.
"Based on the statements expressed by the defendant, there is a fear for the community and concern over her own well-being," Broward County Judge Jackie Powell said.
Cholak's bond was set at $20,000. She will receive a mental health evaluation prior to her release.
Her husband told Local 10 News that Cholak has suffered from postpartum depression since giving birth to their child last April. He said her behavior started deteriorating three days ago.
"It was getting bad here the past -- I'd say three days or so, because four days ago she was fine," Daniel Cholak said. "She's had on and off a little bit of bad depression."
Daniel Cholak said he wants to thank the BSO for not killing his wife.
Following BSO policy, the deputy who shot Cholak has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.