NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A box cutter-wielding man involved in a fight in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon is in critical condition after he was shot by an NYPD detective trying to break up the altercation, police said.
Two plain-clothed detectives were driving in an unmarked car eastbound on Avenue K when, near Utica Avenue in Flatlands, they observed two men in a fight, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said during a press conference.
The entire incident was caught on nearby security cameras. Kenny said the footage shows the suspect standing on the street corner as another man drove down Avenue K in a white BMW. As it passes by, the suspect throws an object at the car, prompting the driver to stop his vehicle. A fight ensues.
Upon spotting the altercation, the detectives exited their vehicle, immediately identified themselves and tried to separate the men, police said.
One detective noticed the suspect carrying a box cutter in his right hand, and Kenny said he did not comply with “clear and repeated verbal warnings” to drop the weapon. He then walked away from detectives and moved around their car in an attempt to reengage in the fight.
Kenny said that the detective followed and placed himself between the men, but the suspect continued to advance on them while displaying the box cutter, forcing him to fire off one shot. The suspect was struck in the torso.
“This person came within three to four feet of our detective with a box cutter out in his hand, refused numerous directives to drop the weapon, so the officer felt that he was an immediate threat to himself and to the person this subject was originally trying to stab,” Kenny said.
EMS and additional officers were immediately requested after the shooting, and the suspect was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County in critical condition.
Officials said that the detectives were also transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
The suspect had three mental illness-related interactions with the NYPD between 2017 and 2018, Kenny said.
The shooting is being investigated by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.