Police fatally shot a patient wielding a makeshift knife at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital on Jan. 8, The New York Times reported.
The patient, a man in his early 60s, was admitted to the hospital Jan. 7. About 5:30 p.m. ET the next day, the New York City Police Department received several 911 calls about a man with a knife at the hospital who was threatening staff and patients, Assistant Police Chief Charles Minch said during a Jan. 8 media briefing.
When police arrived at the hospital, they discovered the man in a room with another patient and security guard. Prior to their arrival, the man had cut himself with a jagged piece of a broken toilet seat and was threatening to cut others, according to authorities.
Police officers on scene spent several minutes ordering the man to drop the weapon. The man reportedly refused their commands and attempted to close the door on the officers. At this time, two officers concurrently fired a Taser and a gun at the man, who was not subdued. He was shocked with a Taser again after failing to comply with additional orders to drop his weapon. Police then shot the man after he moved toward the officers again. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr. Minch said the department is investigating the incident.
NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital remains open and is accepting patients, a spokesperson told Becker’s Jan. 9. The health system declined to provide additional details, citing patient privacy laws, and referred additional questions to the NYPD.
Editor’s note: Becker’s has reached out to the NYPD for comment and will update the story if more information becomes available.
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