A 43-year-old Waipahu woman made her initial appearance in court yesterday on charges she threatened a man and two police officers with knives last week, leading one officer to fire his gun at her.

Thongkham Sinhvongsa is charged with three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening in connection with the Aug. 24 incident. Her bail was set at $20,000 and a preliminary hearing is set for tomorrow.

Sinhvongsa is accused of threatening a man with two large knives in a parking lot at 94-971 Kahuamoku Place in Waipahu. The man told police that he did not know the woman and did not know why she was chasing him.

A police officer ordered the woman, identified in a police affidavit as Sinhvongsa, to drop the knives, but she refused and came after the officer. The officer shot pepper spray at Sinhvongsa three times, but she refused to comply with his orders and began to yell at him, the affidavit said.

At that point, the officer drew his gun and shouted at Sinhvongsa to drop the knives, the affidavit said. A second officer arrived and Sinhvongsa walked toward him while "yelling and waving her knives in the air violently coming within 6 feet" of the officer, according to the affidavit.

The first officer again ordered her to drop the knives, but when she refused, he fired a shot at her. The round missed the woman and hit a wall behind her.

Police said Sinhvongsa walked away from the officers with the knives in her hands. A third officer pushed Sinhvongsa to the ground and handcuffed her, the affidavit said.

No one was injured in the incident.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.