NYPD officer fatally shoots armed man in the Bronx while trying to serve warrant, police say
An NYPD officer fatally shot a man in the Bronx on Thursday morning, police said.
It happened at around 6:45 a.m. at an apartment on Willis Avenue between Bruckner Boulevard and East 132nd Street.
Police officials said the Bronx Warrant Squad was trying to apprehend Lucien Colon, 44. There was a warrant out for Colon for failing to meet his reporting requirements as a sex offender, according to the NYPD.
An official said Colon was on parole for a 2013 murder, and is a sex offender due to a 1997 rape, and was previously arrested for attempted murder in 1995.
How police say the shooting happened
Warrant Squad officers were greeted at the Willis Avenue apartment by a woman who let them in, police said. When they entered the apartment they encountered Colon "with what appeared to be a firearm in his hand."
The officers tried to talk to Colon, demanding he show them his hands, and he told them, "I have a gun," police said.
Officers demanded Colon step out of the room, and he said, "It's not going to happen," according to police.
"During this verbal interaction, which lasted for approximately a minute and a half, the officers showed extreme restraint and truly attempted to deescalate the situation," NYPD Deputy Chief John Wilson said. "After failing to comply to multiple requests, one officer discharged their firearm and strikes the subject."
Colon was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police displayed a photo of the apparent weapon they said Colon was holding. They went on to say that it's not yet clear if it was in fact a real gun, adding it might be a BB gun.
The entire incident was caught on police body camera, officials said.
No officers were injured, although they were taken to the hospital for evaluation.
"He was my king"
Mari Velencia told CBS News New York she was the woman who let the police into the apartment. Velencia said Colon was her boyfriend of two years, and alleged that she was not shown the warrant and that police forced themselves in, damaging the door.
"I'm angry. It's like, I should've stood in the room because he was my ride-and-die partner. He was my king, I was his queen," Velencia said.
Velencia told CBS News New York that police are not allowing her to see her phone, and that she has video of the incident. CBS News New York is seeking comment from the NYPD on her allegations.
