NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A uniformed NYPD sergeant and two police officers attempted to deescalate a knife-wielding man in East Harlem late Saturday afternoon, but when he lunged at an officer, the sergeant shot him once in the buttocks.
At about 5:30 p.m., a community member walked into the NYPD’s 23rd Precinct at East 102nd Street and Third Avenue.
His purpose was “to inform our officers that an irate male was armed with a knife attempting to stab a group of people,” Assistant Chief Ruel Stephenson said during a press conference held just over three hours after the incident.
In a situation that Ruel called “extremely chaotic and fast,” the officers exited the precinct, crossed the street and saw a 36-year-old armed man running with a knife and attempting to stab a victim.
Police gave him continued verbal commands to drop the knife, which he ignored. He lunged at an officer in the street with a knife, and then ran back to the sidewalk after a victim.
While on the sidewalk, officials said that he lunged at a second officer who deployed her taser. The taser struck the man but was ineffective.
“As the officer discharged the taser, the male then swung the knife at the officer, missing her face by mere inches,” Ruel said.
Seeing this, Ruel said the sergeant had “no choice” but to fire off one round, striking the man in the buttocks.
He was removed to an area hospital and is in stable condition. Police said that he is in custody and charges are pending.
The knife-wielding man has a history of mental illness with the department, which Ruel characterized as two police encounters that occurred in May, both of which prompted him to be removed and evaluated at a hospital.
The three police officials involved were removed for evaluation, and no civilians were injured in this incident.
Body-worn cameras captured the shooting, authorities said.
The initial incident, during which the man tried to stab a group of people, was caught on surveillance video and began with an argument between the man and four individuals, police said.
An investigation is ongoing by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.