TexasCHLforum.com

Teamless wrote:

"She's had intruders around there before. She heard some noise and she thought it was somebody out there trying to break in and she shot two or three bullets."

The Virginia State Police stated the Altavista officers took cover upon hearing the gun shots and then saw Towlers leave the back of the house. The officers approached Towlers and ordered her to drop the weapon several times. She refused their commands and pointed the gun at officers. One of the officers then fired his weapon, striking Towlers.

KSEE reports that the elderly woman was not wearing her glassed or hearing aid at the time and may not have heard or recognized the officers.

So she didn't have her glasses or hearing aid on, yet she shot 2 or 3 shots, and unlucky for her, it was as the cops had arrived. They heard it, and did what they needed to do, by ordering her to drop the gun.
How are they to know she is the good guy?

More reasons NOT to shoot warning shots.

I feel bad that she was killed, but in what I read, I cannot fault the cops either.