Video Shows Violent Tenant-Landlord Confrontation Before Deadly Police-Involved Shooting In The Bronx
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Surveillance video shows part of the initial confrontation between a tenant and his landlord before a deadly police-involved shooting in the Bronx.
The argument started inside of the communal kitchen of an apartment building on Prospect Avenue just after 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Police say a 52-year-old man got into an argument with his landlord. The tenant, allegedly armed with what the landlord said was a boxcutter, is seen lunging towards him, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.
The landlord, who did not want to be identified, described what happened.
"He's struggling with the knife, he won't let go," said the landlord. "This when he goes to stab me. He goes to cut me, I'm holding him back."
The landlord's associate then comes into the room, trying to help. The pair was eventually able to wrestle the knife out of the man's hand.
But then he says the tenant returned to his apartment and came back with a bigger weapon, what police described as a military-grade knife.
The argument then spilled out into the street and police officers arrived to find the men arguing at the intersection of Prospect and 181st Street.
"The officers confronted this subject and repeatedly directed him to drop the knife," said NYPD Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison. "The subject then turned toward the officers with the knife in hand and then two officers discharged a firearm, striking the subject."
The 52-year-old man was shot by responding officers and was rushed to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he died.
Some residents are questioning the use of the deadly force.
"If somebody have a weapon or anything, they need to surrender," said resident Desiree Dixon.
"He shouldn't have had a knife, maybe he should have dropped it. But they didn't have to kill him," said resident Antoine Fletcher.
"Shoot him in his arm or leg or something, didn't have to kill him," said another resident.
But the landlord says the shooting was justified.
"The cops told him six to seven times and he said, 'kill me, kill me,'" he said.
Police said the knife was recovered at the scene and the officers who fired the shots were wearing cameras that were recording the incident. That footage is now part of the investigation.
Another group of officers on their way to the scene suffered minor injuries when their patrol car smashed into a utility pole at 180th and Belmont as they raced to help.
