NYPD cops shoot man with ‘history of mental issues’ who lunged at them with kitchen knife: police
NYPD officers were forced to shoot and wound a man with a history of mental issues who lunged at them with a kitchen knife inside a Queens home on Monday morning. The incident took place at a house on Parsons Boulevard near 85th Avenue in Briarwood after a relative called the authorities to report that the 22-year-old man was throwing glass against the wall.
Upon arrival, the man was in the kitchen and then retrieved a large kitchen knife, advancing towards the officers. Despite attempts by a family member to restrain him, the armed man continued to move towards the officers with the knife in hand. The officers repeatedly commanded him to drop the weapon and tried to de-escalate the situation, but he ignored their warnings and continued to advance.
The officers closed the glass door leading to the living room and issued more commands for the man to drop the knife, but he forced his way through the door and continued to lunge at the cops. In response, the officers discharged their weapons, shooting the suspect. They quickly applied a tourniquet to his wounds before handing him over to EMS workers.
The man was then taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition and undergoing surgery. While he had no previous arrest history, police had responded to an emotionally disturbed person incident involving him just the month before.
The knife used by the suspect was recovered at the scene, and the officers involved were taken to a local hospital to be evaluated for tinnitus. The entire incident was captured on the officers’ body-worn camera footage and is currently being investigated by the department’s Force Investigation Division.
A neighbor who witnessed the events unfold described hearing the officers demand the man to drop the knife, followed by gunfire. The neighbor mentioned that the whole ordeal happened within a matter of seconds, with the ambulance arriving quickly to take the wounded man away.
The neighbor also mentioned that the suspect had some developmental delays and emotional disturbances, describing him as an innocent and nice kid who was often seen walking his dog. The situation highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement when dealing with individuals with mental health issues and the importance of proper training and de-escalation techniques in such scenarios.
