NYPD: Officers shoot man armed with knife, scissors outside assisted living facility in the Bronx
NEW YORK - The NYPD says officers shot a man armed with a knife and scissors Friday in the Bronx.
He was taken to the hospital with critical injuries.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell described the situation as "fast, volatile and dangerous."
Police responded to a call around 8:40 a.m. from a case worker at an assisted living facility on Washington Avenue in Morrisania, who reported a man in mental distress with a large pair of scissors.
When officers arrived, the man alleged ran at them with the scissors and a 12-inch kitchen knife.
"The subject then decided to turn his sights on a civilian who was smoking a cigarette outside the location. He went after this male with the scissors. Our officers were able to distract him and give him commands to drop the scissors," Chell said. "At this time, in a full-fledged sprint, he came at one of our officers."
Chell said one officer fired three times, hitting the man twice.
"If our officers did not respond quickly, we might have a civilian who's hurt, and we stopped a threat to the community," he added.
"I see this young man come around the corner and police yelling at him drop the scissors, drop it and he had a bladed weapon. He wasn't charging them," said eyewitness D. Baron Buddy Bolton.
Community members were shaken up by the events that unfolded and frustrated by the way things ended.
"First thing they should've done is call EMS to get the right help for him," said Iris Rosa Blanco, who lives in the neighborhood.
"Our police are better than this. We've got great cops and they need better training for situations like this. This young man did not need to be shot over scissors," said Bolton.
The man is in critical condition and four officers were also taken to the hospital.
