Man in critical condition after undercover NYPD officer opens fire in Flatlands
Police say officers did render aid and called for EMS.
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A man remains in critical condition after being shot by an undercover NYPD officer in Flatlands. Police say he refused to drop a box cutter, but a witness disputes that account.
According to the NYPD, two detectives were driving near Avenue K around 1:49 p.m. Wednesday, when they saw two men arguing. Officials say the man who was shot had thrown an object at the other man’s car before pulling out a box cutter. Police say the detectives, who were in plain clothes, identified themselves and ordered him multiple times to drop the weapon. When he moved closer to them and the other man, one officer fired, striking him in the torso.
But Faylynn Dube, who says she watched the incident unfold from her car, tells a different story.
“I saw a man arguing with someone, then an undercover cop came out and just shot him. He wasn’t holding anything in his hand,” Dube told News 12. “They didn’t even help him right away.”
Police say officers did render aid and called for EMS. The man was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Deputy Chief Rohan Griffin defended the officer’s actions, saying the man got within "three to four feet" of the detective while still holding the box cutter and refusing commands to drop it.
The NYPD says the incident was captured on security cameras from a nearby building, but they have not confirmed what the footage shows. They also noted the man has a history of previous police encounters related to mental health incidents.
The investigation remains ongoing.
