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NYPD officers fatally shoot man threatening woman with a knife, police say. Here's what we know.

Man shot, killed by NYPD after allegedly holding woman at knifepoint in Queens
Man shot, killed by NYPD after allegedly holding woman at knifepoint in Queens 01:52

NEW YORK -- New York City police fatally shot a 65-year-old man who officers said was threatening a woman with a knife early Saturday morning. 

Two officers were patrolling a neighborhood in Corona, Queens, where they saw the man arguing and holding a knife to the woman across the street, according to NYPD. 

The officers ordered the man to drop the knife, but he did not, NYPD Chief of Detectives Jeffrey Maddrey said. 

"The male doesn't listen, the officers used a taser, the taser does not work. The officer gives further commands and then discharged their weapons, which stops the male," said Maddrey. 

The man was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, where detectives said he died. He has been identified as 65-year-old Jesus Nunez.

The woman was not hurt.

A neighbor, who didn't want to be identified, watched events unfold from his window. He told CBS New York in Spanish that he heard a woman calling for police, then repeated calls for the man to drop the knife followed by five gunshots.

Police believe the argument may have been domestic in nature, but they were still looking into the relationship between Nunez and woman.

"Uptick" in crime in the area

The shooting happened at around 4 a.m. by the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 103rd Street, which police kept closed for hours to investigate. 

Police didn't even get a call about the incident; a patrol officer was passing by and saw it unfold.

Maddrey says officers were patrolling the area due to "heavy nightlife" and an uptick in crime on Roosevelt Avenue 

"We have seen some upticks in crime. So we have a contingent of officers who work out here at night to keep people safe," said Maddrey. 

"There are a lot of fights early in the morning, between 3 and 5 in the morning, so the people are more concerned now about the violence, the street violence," neighbor Martin Peralta said.

But Peralta says the heightened police presence over the past several years has eased his worries.

"I feel safer because I see the patrols at night. They're driving around the block, so I feel safer," he said.

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