NYPD officer shoots man after he charged at police with knife in East Harlem

A man was shot after the NYPD said he charged at officers with a kitchen knife outside of an East Harlem grocery store.

Police said the man was harassing workers at the market while wielding a kitchen knife. 

Early Monday morning, a 53-year-old got into an argument with another person inside the City Fresh Market on East 120th Street and Third Avenue, police said.

"The male suddenly became irate and disorderly and had to be physically removed from the store by multiple employees," NYPD Inspector Andrew Natiw said. 

The man returned to the store about 20 minutes later with a large kitchen knife in his hand, banging on the window, according to police. 

Surveillance video shows the man wielding a 13-inch knife, yelling, pressing against the store's glass and ripping down signs. 

A quick-thinking worker locked the door and employees called 911 just after 1:30 a.m., and officers responded.

"The officers gave multiple verbal commands to drop the knife," Natiw said. "But the subject quickly advanced toward the officers with the knife extended out."

An officer shot him in the abdomen. He was taken to Harlem Hospital and is in critical but stable condition, police said. The incident was caught on police body camera, the NYPD said. 

Neighbor Angel Munoz was jolted from his sleep by the gunshot. 

"I said that was a shot," Munoz said. "I knew it was a shot." 

Supermarket worker Victor Salvada said staff knew the man often shoplifted, but added this was the first time things turned violent.

One man who works in the neighborhood said it can be a dangerous area.

"You don't know what's going to happen day or night," he said. "A lot of people walking around, you don't know what they're gonna do. Pretty worrying." 

The responding officers were taken to a local hospital to be evaluated, but were not injured.

The NYPD recovered the knife at the scene and continues to investigate.