Man in East Harlem shot, killed by police after 911 calls reported person with gun, NYPD says
NEW YORK -- New York City police officers shot and killed a man in East Harlem after getting multiple 911 calls from people concerned about a man with a gun in the neighborhood, police said.
ShotSpotter activations and the calls prompted a large police presence along Third Avenue by East 103rd Street overnight, police said.
Officers ordered man to drop gun "numerous" times, chief says
Officers said they found a 62-year-old man with a gun in his hand near the George Washington Houses at 1875 Third Ave. just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
The officers ordered him to drop the gun multiple times, but he did not, according to NYPD. Two officers then opened fire and shot him, police said.
"The officers gave numerous commands, verbally, to drop the gun, which the male did not comply. The two officers discharged their firearms, striking the male. The officers immediately requested EMS and performed CPR. The male was removed to an area hospital and was pronounced deceased. A gun was recovered at the scene and there are no outstanding perpetrators at this time," said NYPD Chief of Housing Martine Materasso.
NYPD shared a picture of the gun that was recovered at the scene on X.
The shooting remains under investigation. No one else was hurt.
Neighbor called police after seeing man with gun outside George Washington Houses
A neighbor who didn't want to be identified told CBS News New York's Kristie Keleshian she called police several times after seeing the man threaten her friends outside with a gun.
"Unprovoked, and he just walks up and he's, like, asking for drugs ... and if he didn't get the drugs, then I guess he was gonna go crazy," the neighbor said. "He was just walking around proudly with the gun."
She said officers arrived within about three minutes.
She and other neighbors who spoke to CBS News New York said they had never seen the 62-year-old man before Sunday morning.
Neighbor Mike Montelongo was awakened by several rounds fired by officers.
"I literally thought it was fireworks, and I was looking up like, 'there's no fireworks, so what was it?'" he said.
Montelongo said the area where the shooting unfolded is usually along his walking path at night. He's only been living in the city since May.
"I just moved here from Austin, so I'm reconsidering the area ... I'm out here with my mom," he said.
Neighbors who said they were threatened by the 62-year-old said they thank their neighbor for calling police and for potentially saving their lives.