A man was shot by NYPD officers after allegedly confronting them with a knife inside a Bronx apartment building yesterday evening. The incident, which took place around 5:40 p.m. on East 148th Street, left the man wounded and in stable condition at Lincoln Hospital, according to Gothamist.
The encounter began after police responded to a call reporting an attempted air conditioner theft. The officers confronted a 32-year-old man wielding a kitchen knife as they approached the landing of the stairwell, as detailed by Gothamist. Deputy Chief Rohan Griffith of the NYPD's Force Investigation Division detailed that the man "quickly approached the officers," despite being issued multiple commands to stop and to drop the knife. The situation, unfolding in an "extremely tight stairwell," escalated when the man failed to comply, resulting in an officer shooting him in the torso.
Following the shooting, officers provided aid to the man until EMS arrived. The NYPD's Force Investigation Division is now thoroughly investigating the circumstances of the incident, including any possible language barriers that might have impacted the communication between the caller and the police. While reviewing the body-worn and security camera footage, police are also trying to identify a man reportedly seen in the courtyard prior to the incident; however, the identity of the man shot has not been released. "This is very early in the investigation," Griffith told Gothamist, insisting on a "deep dive" into what occurred.
Meanwhile, NBC New York reports that the incident marks the second police shooting in New York over the weekend. On Friday, officers in Brooklyn shot a man after he allegedly pointed a gun at an NYPD sergeant during a foot chase. The Bronx confrontation ended with police recovering the knife at the scene, and the man is expected to survive. Further details are anticipated as police officials were set to hold a press conference later yesterday.
