MADERA - Madera Police are investigating a shooting Tuesday evening that sent a man to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck. The shooting took place in the parking lot of the Madera Walmart on West Cleveland Avenue near the store's entrance where a man brought a knife to a gunfight.

The initial investigation revealed that a verbal argument in the parking lot led to one man brandishing a knife and charging another man. The man brandishing the knife continued advancing on the unarmed man, who backed away approximately 30 feet.

The wife of the unarmed man was in a nearby car.  Feeling her husband’s life was in danger, she fired a single round from a gun that was in her possession at the time.  The bullet struck the knife-wielding man in the neck. The husband was uninjured.

The wife then reported the shooting to the Madera Police and, with her husband, stayed at the scene and have been cooperating with law enforcement. They were released last night after going to the police station for questioning. Officials say there are no plans to pursue charges for the shooting.

"It's not a defense of her but it's in defense of her husband," Madera Police Commander Gino Chiaramonte said. "There was a lethal threat and the aggressive nature of him trying to swing and stab, and you'll see that in the video."

The person shot was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he is in critical but stable condition. 

At his time the Madera Police are not releasing any of the involved parties’ names.