Police Fatally Shoot Knife-Wielding Suspect After Domestic Argument On Lower East Side
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Police shot and killed a knife-wielding man after they say he violated a restraining order and stabbed his domestic partner Friday morning in Manhattan.
Officers were responding to a 911 call about a domestic dispute around 7 a.m. at an apartment building on Cherry Street on the Lower East Side.
Police said the officers were met by the 911 caller and then found the suspect inside a closet.
NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said the suspect was initially "calm and compliant," but suddenly broke away from the officers, grabbed a large knife and started attacking the 911 caller, identified as his domestic partner.
That's when officers shot the suspect, firing a total of five shots, Monahan said. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The victim was stabbed in the shoulder and slashed in the face. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
#nypd on scene of police involved shooting on #LES Officers responded to domestic dispute on Cherry Street, where suspect had a knife. Police confronted suspect and fired. Suspect critical @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/0Ei7PhRAm6
— Janelle Burrell (@BurrellTV) February 8, 2019
Neighbors woke up to sounds of sirens and saw emergency responders outside their windows.
"I saw a whole bunch of police officers and cars just converging on the scene. They were all running into the building very quickly. It was obvious that whatever was happening was an emergency," Ozzie Rodriguez said. "This is a new building that went up, people just began moving in there recently. So I'm very surprised."
Monahan said there was a history of violence between the men, and the suspect had been arrested for assault in December. An order of protection was issued as recently as Feb. 5.
Their names have not been released.