BAY SHORE, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Three officers were sent to the hospital, one of which suffered multiple stab wounds, and a suspect is dead following an officer-involved shooting on Long Island, Suffolk County police officials said at a press conference outside of Stony Brook University Hospital Saturday afternoon.
Three officers from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Precinct responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic dispute at 1138 Udall Road in Bay Shore at about 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, officials said. The caller had stated that her husband was acting violently.
Upon arrival, two officers approached the door. One of the officers opened the screen door and the caller’s husband, Taiquell Woodson, 33, charged at the officer with a large knife, according to Police Commissioner Robert Waring.
“The officer retreated, and fell into the snow on the front yard. Woodson jumps on top of him with a knife, and he starts stabbing the officer, clearly attempting to kill him. The officer was stabbed multiple times in the right arm. Woodson also attempted to stab him in the chest, hit him in the chest, but fortunately, the knife did not penetrate through the officer’s vest,” Waring said of the attack.
One officer deployed his taser, which was unsuccessful in deterring Woodson. Then, Waring said, the third officer fired his service weapon, “striking Woodson and stopping the attack.”
Fellow officers applied a tourniquet to the wounded officer’s arm, and he was transported by a police vehicle to Good Samaritan University Hospital. From there, he was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital to receive further treatment.
The officer, who has been on the police force for a year and a half, suffered injuries to his hands, both forearms and his face.
“At Stony Brook, we repaired his wounds, some of them being complex. We do have concerns that there may be nerve damage to his dominant hand, which he uses to eat and write with, but we’re very fortunate that he’s alive, and overall these wounds were not life threatening,” Dr. James Vosswinkel, Chief of Trauma and Surgery, said.
According to Waring, the responding officers and medical personnel administered CPR on Woodson. He was then transported to South Shore University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Woodson’s wife and one-year-old child were present at the scene, and physically uninjured, officials said.
Authorities said Woodson was arrested last year for robbery in Riverhead, outside of department jurisdiction.
The other two officers present at the scene, who have been on the force for a year and a year and a half, were transported to Stony Brook for observation.
“This incident occurred in approximately five seconds. I want to be clear, this was a justified shooting. Without the decisive actions of these officers, one of our officers would’ve been killed today," Waring said.
Waring confirmed that the incident was recorded on officer bodycam, though he said it will not be released at this time.
The investigation is ongoing. Police officials committed to fully cooperating with the Attorney General’s investigation.