NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Police shot and killed a man on parole for murder after he brandished a suspected firearm on officers as they searched a Bronx apartment on Thursday morning, the NYPD confirmed.
At about 6:45 a.m., officers responded to 105 Willis Ave. in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx in search of 44-year-old Lucien Colón, who police said had an active parole warrant and an active bench warrant for failing to meet his reporting requirements as a New York State sex offender.
When they arrived at the address, the officers were met by a woman who gave them permission to enter the home. Once inside, they spotted Colón sitting on a bed with what appeared to be a firearm in his hand, officials said.
Colón was told to show his hands, but repeatedly responded “I have a gun” and “It’s not going to happen.”
“During this verbal interaction, which lasted for approximately a minute and a half, the officers showed extreme restraint and truly attempted to deescalate this situation,” Deputy Chief John Wilson, commanding officer of the Fugitive Enforcement Unit, said during a press conference Thursday.
Colón failed to comply with multiple requests, and one officer fired a single shot, striking him in the face, police said.
The officers immediately called EMS and rendered aid to Colón. He was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced dead.
A firearm was recovered at the scene. Wilson said that a search warrant will be executed later to determine the type of weapon it is, and that it could potentially be a BB gun, but the department could not yet confirm.
The shooting was captured on both officers’ body cameras, and is being investigated by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.
