NYPD cops fatally shoot man threatening woman with a knife in Queens
Two NYPD officers shot and killed a 65-year-old man who was threatening a woman with a knife on a bustling Queens commercial strip early Saturday, officials said.
The fatal clash marks the third police-involved shooting in Queens in the last month, starting with the murder of Police Officer Jonathan Diller.
The cops were stationed on Roosevelt Ave. near 103rd St. in Corona at 4:05 a.m. when they saw an argument between the man and a 49-year-old woman, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said during an early morning briefing at the scene.
The officers shot the unidentified man after he wouldn’t drop the knife, cops said.
Residents heard arguing between the man and the woman before a barrage of bullets erupted.
“They were arguing for about ten minutes,” said one resident, who would only identify himself as Marco. “They were screaming a lot. I heard the lady asking for help.”
The cops intervened within moments, Marco said.
“I heard the police say, ‘Stop! Stop!’ And then I heard the gunshots,” he said.
Maddrey said the officers were nearby when the heated argument caught their attention.
“They walk over to investigate and see a male with a knife, engaged in a dispute with a female,” Maddrey said.
The cops ordered the man to drop the weapon, but he “doesn’t listen,” Maddrey said.
“The officers use the Tazer. The Tazer doesn’t work,” the chief said. “Then the officers use their weapons and stop the male.”
About three gunshots came in quick succession, Marco said.
“(It was) fast. Fast,” he said. “Boom! Boom! Boom!”
EMS rushed the man to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he died of his wounds. His name was not immediately disclosed.
Hours later, the corner was still littered with wads of blood-soaked toilet paper, a discarded baseball cap and the victim’s jeans, which were cut off to get at one of the gunshot wounds.
The woman was not injured and was questioned by detectives, cops said.
The two officers who fired the shots were taken to an area hospital to be treated for tinnitus.
A small yellow knife was recovered at the scene, cops said.
Cops were trying to determine if the man and woman may have been romantically involved, a police source with knowledge of the case said.
The NYPD Force Investigations Unit was investigating.
Maddrey said the two officers were stationed at the bustling commercial district, which has a thriving nightlife.
Crime in the 115th Precinct, which covers that section of Roosevelt Ave., has jumped by 47% this year over last. As of April 14, cops had investigated 103 robberies, 33 more than this time last year.
Assaults have also gone up by 13%, from 131 this time last year to 148.
“We have a contingent of officers who work here to keep people safe,” Maddrey said.
Marco said the intersection is usually very noisy because of foot traffic and the MTA’s elevated No. 7 line, which runs down Roosevelt Ave.
“(There’s) a lot of people partying,” he said.
Saturday’s incident occurred one week shy of the month anniversary of Diller’s death, cops said.
The Queens officer was shot and killed by an ex-con in Rockaway, Queens, who was also wounded in the ensuing firefight.
Diller had asked Guy Rivera to step out of a parked car on Mott Ave. near Smith Place on March 25 when Rivera allegedly opened fire on the cop, fatally shooting him in the abdomen, according to police.
Two days later, police shot and killed 19-year-old Win Rozario, who called 911 on himself as he spiraled out of control during a “mental crisis,” the NYPD said.
Rozario charged at the officers with a pair of scissors when he was shot, according to authorities.
