Late Thursday evening, a New York City police officer fatally shot a man who, according to police reports, was holding his own mother hostage with a large kitchen knife in an apartment on Malford Avenue in Pelham Bay, Bronx.
The 34-year-old man, whose name has not been disclosed at this time, was shot after more than two minutes of unsuccessful de-escalation attempts, NYPD Patrol Chief Philip Rivera said at a briefing on Friday night.
“Our officers engaged in dialog with him, trying to persuade him to drop the knife and release the mother, — Rivera said. — However, he repeatedly declared that he would kill her, holding her by the neck with his left hand and the knife at her throat with his right.”
The emergency was reported at 23:20 by a residential complex security guard who heard screams from the apartment. According to police, the mother, a 61-year-old woman, miraculously was not injured.
Responding officers followed protocol — attempting to establish contact, issuing warnings to the suspect, and only after it became clear that his intentions remained threatening, one of them fired a single shot.
The suspect was transported to Jacobi Hospital in critical condition. His mother is safe and did not require medical assistance.
Police have already released a photo of the knife recovered from the scene and reported that the incident was fully recorded on police body cameras. The footage is currently being analyzed by the NYPD Criminal Investigation Division as part of standard protocol.
This incident is yet another example of the complex and immediate risk assessments officers must undertake during threats to close relatives. It also raises questions about access to psychological help and crisis services in communities where domestic violence remains consistently high.
The police urge anyone with additional information about this case to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or in Spanish — 1-888-57-PISTA. Information can also be submitted through the website www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
