A Yonkers family called police on a relative who was behaving erratically and holding a cutting tool, and officers who responded found him inside the home brandishing a large hatchet, shouting aggressively and refusing repeated commands to put it down. Police say the confrontation ended when officers fired a Taser, causing the man to drop the weapon, and he was taken into custody without deadly force.
The incident unfolded on October 13, according to News12 Hudson Valley, which reported that family members had reached out for help because the man was acting erratically and holding the cutting implement. Emergency Service Unit officers and Second Precinct officers responded to the residence, the outlet reported, and it was there that they found the man already wielding the hatchet.
Standoff Inside the Home
Once inside, officers encountered the man actively confronting them, according to the station's report. He was shouting aggressively and ignored repeated orders to drop the hatchet, the account states. Rather than escalate to deadly force, officers deployed a Taser, which caused him to drop the weapon and allowed them to take him into custody, per the same account.
After the man was subdued, he was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment and evaluation, the station reported. As of October 23, police had not released his name, nor had they announced any potential charges stemming from the encounter, the outlet notes.
A Pattern of Scrutiny Over Force
The outcome in this case stands in contrast to another Yonkers encounter earlier this year. In April, police reportedly used a Taser twice while trying to subdue a man during a disturbance at an apartment building, but the device was ineffective both times, and the man later died in custody, according to News12 Westchester. That earlier case remains a separate, unresolved matter and is not connected to the October 13 hatchet incident beyond both involving Yonkers police response to a disturbance.
Yonkers police have faced broader scrutiny over use-of-force practices in recent years. In 2022, NPR reported that alleged police misconduct had cost the city millions of dollars amid a federal investigation. A separate 2024 use-of-force arrest by Yonkers police was reported to be under review by the Westchester County district attorney, according to The Journal News/lohud. The following year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an agreement with the city that it said put in place clear use-of-force policies and guidance for evaluating and responding to such incidents.
What Comes Next
Yonkers Police Department policy on electronic control devices states that personnel must be instructed in the authorized and proper use of less-than-lethal force before they are allowed to carry a Taser. In the October 13 case, no further details have emerged about the man's identity, his condition, or whether he will face charges, and police have not released that information as of the most recent update.
