Police shoot, kill man near Times Square

Updated 10:42 PM ET

(AP) NEW YORK - Police shot and killed a man they say lunged at them with a knife in a confrontation that began in Times Square and drew officers and spectators on a chase that ended with shots fired near one of New York's most heavily touristed areas.

The encounter played out Saturday around 3 p.m., when officers approached a 51-year-old man they say appeared to be smoking marijuana near West 44th Street and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Times Square.

The man became agitated, pulled out an 11-inch knife and began to put a bandanna on his head, police said. He refused repeated orders to drop the weapon and began backing down the avenue, continuing for a number of blocks and drawing many officers into a slow-speed pursuit that took them south of Times Square.

According to the police account, officers pepper sprayed the man six times but he held onto the knife throughout the seven-block pursuit. At West 37th Street, he lunged at police and two officers shot him in the torso, police said. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

Witnesses recalled a chaotic scene in which some bystanders took cover, while others began following the procession down the avenue in an attempt to capture cellphone video of it. On video obtained by NY1 cable news station, a number of officers, guns drawn, can be seen pursuing the man as he appears to skip down Seventh Avenue.

"He was swinging at people as he ran," Jobby Nogver, a 17-year-old visiting from Boston, told The New York Times. Nogver watched as police surrounded the man and fired. "I can't tell you how many shots," he said.

Priscilla Rocha, a tourist from Brazil, was visiting Times Square with her husband when they saw the confrontation.

"I almost had a heart attack," she told the Times. "Everyone started running."

[Little_Old_Lady]

The NYPD rocks!

Outstanding job, guys!!

[matt6052]

It doesn't require nine shots center mass to drop a suspect, and it's easier to pepper spray him after he's on the ground with a bullet in him. Good thing no one was hurt.

[silverstar48]

What ... were the cops supposed to stop and discuss which of them should pull the trigger while the guy waves an 11" blade at them?

[spartan1827]

Another inbred from New york that brings a knife to a gun fight!!!!!
Guess your mayor will ban all hunting knives along with sugar drinks now.Pull a knife on a cop how stupid.And T-Torquemada stop and frisk is to remove guns out of the projects.What am I saying New York has tough gun laws so theres no way those underprivileged men have any illegal guns they being set up they were planted by the NYPD.

[alpinequeen]

Like that bandanna was going to help.

[omnibus66]

Just cops out having a good time. That's what they do for fun.

[fiddlestickawshucks]

IGNORAMUS.!

I think Mayor Bloomberg has lost it trying to ban everything from sodas to baby formula.

A while back, he suggested the police go on strike.

While this idea is even more idiotic; it might do you some good if they were to go on strike to give you a taste of what would happen in a lawless city; even just for one day.!!

[14FREEK]

Smoking weed in public like it was legal. But weed can't hurt you. Weed is sooo cooool. there must be some mistake. Maybe he had mental problems. Maybe we should ban knives in New York City now. Make people walk through metal detectors when they get off the bus or subway.

[Mathion]

Anyone can go postal. Weed always mellows someone out. If it was laced with PCP, not so much.

Sarcasm works best when you know what the hell you're talking about.

[newsjunkie_56]

Hey.....it wasn't pot for starters.....bath salts or whatever but it wasn't anything like good ol everyday pot. Trust me on that one. Secondly, get real folks.....wave a knife at a cop anywhere in any town or city & whaddya think is going to happen? Yep....he or she is gonna shoot ya dead. As would I in their place. nuff said.

[AAnnie52]

Bath salts.