NYPD: Knife-wielding man who charged at officers fatally shot in Bushwick
Police attempted to verbally de-escalate the situation but were forced to use tasers.
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A man who charged at NYPD officers while holding a knife was fatally shot overnight in Bushwick, NYPD officials say.
Police say they were finishing a domestic violence call on the corner of Eldert Street and Central Avenue around 2:20 a.m. when they were approached by a 26-year-old man who tapped their patrol car with knives in his hands.
According to police, the man flashed two knives at them. Police attempted to verbally de-escalate the situation but were forced to use tasers on him.
Officers say the suspect dropped one knife but began charging towards them. Police then opened fire.
The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
"We try everything we can with emotionally disturbed people to de-escalate. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way,” said NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell. ”It’s a very tough night for these two officers and their families.”
Police say one officer was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.
This incident comes one day after the anniversary of George Floyd's Death. Hawk Newsome, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter Greater New York, exclusively told News 12 that policing in the city needs to change.
"These split-second decisions are supposed to be covered in your training," Newsome exclusively told News 12. "You're supposed to exhaust every single option before you take a life. This is why we say that policing as we know it should be done away with."
Newsome also added social workers need to be at the scene of an emotionally or mentally distressed individual.
