A man in his 60s is dead after a police shooting in Queens. The shooting happened just steps away from a busy subway station in Astoria. NBC New York’s Jessica Cunnington reports.
NYPD officers opened fire on a knife-wielding suspect in Queens just below the 30 Avenue subway station early Monday morning, according to police.
Officers were responding to a call of a man with a knife around 6:20 a.m. at 30th Ave and 31st St in Astoria, the NYPD said. Police had received numerous calls of a man with a knife acting erratic with callers thinking he might stab someone, officials said.
Police said they gave orders to the man to drop the 14-inch knife. After the suspect didn't comply, officers used their Tasers but said they did not work. The NYPD then tried for nearly a minute to convince the man to drop the knife before he advanced on the officers and they were forced to fire, according to police.
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WATCH HERE"They were forced to defend themselves," said NYPD Chief of Department John Chell.
Officers could be seen in a Citizen app video trying to render aid to the man after he was shot.
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SIGN UP The suspect, who was 61 years old, later died at a local hospital. Police said the man, who has not been identified, had a history of mental health issues, but did not give further details.
The knife was seen by an NBC New York crew steps from the elevated subway tracks for the N and W lines.
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An investigation is underway and investigators could be seen placing dozens of cups on the ground to serve as evidence markers. The entire sequence of events as caught on body-worn police cameras and surveillance video from the scene.
"The NYPD tries, at all times, to de-escalate and slow down these situations," Chell told reporters.
Police were also looking into why the Tasers did not work.
