Manhattan, NY – New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers were forced to shoot a man who was reportedly chasing people with a knife on Saturday after a taser failed to take him down, according to officials. A sergeant from the department fired at the 36-year-old suspect and hit him in the buttocks after the man swung his knife and almost hit another officer in the face. The incident occurred at East 102 Street and Third Avenue in East Harlem.
Around 5:30 PM, a resident walked into the 23rd precinct on 102nd Street in East Harlem and reported that a man with a knife was attacking people outside. A sergeant and two police officers crossed the street and saw the male suspect armed with a knife and attempting to stab a victim. Despite the officers’ repeated commands to drop the knife, the man kept chasing his victim.
The man reportedly ignored the officers’ commands and ran after the victim in the street. He then tried to lunge at officers, who attempted to stop him. One officer deployed his taser, but it proved ineffective. The 36-year-old subsequently swung the knife at the officer, barely missing her face.
In complete accordance with the NYPD’s use of force policy, the sergeant then fired at the man, striking him in the buttocks. The incident lasted only 34 seconds. The man was detained and taken to Mt. Sinai Morningside Hospital in stable condition.
The suspect initially got into a dispute with four other individuals on the street before becoming violent, police said. A gun from the scene was recovered, and charges are still pending at this time. The three police officers involved were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
According to NYPD Assistant Chief Ruel Stevenson, the man is known to the department and has a history of mental illness. He had two encounters with police in May, one of which was violent. During those encounters, he was removed and evaluated at an area hospital both times. The incident was captured on police body cam footage and security cameras.
Pai-Chun Ma, a local resident, reported seeing a police officer holding a gun and yelling something at the suspect before firing a shot, which he described as loud. Some passersby were initially shocked, but no civilians were injured in the incident.