Police fatally shoot knife-wielding man in Astoria
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From left to right, Deputy Inspector Derick Bentley, Assistant Chief Brian Hennessy, Chief of Department John Chell and Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry hold a press conference on the 61-year-old man killed by police in Astoria on Monday. Photo via NYPD/X
By Noah Powelson
A 61-year-old man who was allegedly wielding a knife was shot and killed by police officers early Monday morning in Astoria.
The shooting took place on the corner of 31st Street and 30th Avenue after officers responded to three separate 911 calls of a man with a knife causing a disturbance, the NYPD said.
Officers claimed that the man, who had a history of mental illness, was in the midst of a mental health crisis during the incident and ignored multiple orders from the cops to drop the knife.
“Anytime the NYPD interacts with someone in mental stress, we attempt to slow down and deescalate the situation with the ultimate goal of getting the person the help they need,” NYPD Chief of Department John Chell said during a press conference a few hours after the shooting. “However, during fast moving and hectic situations with an armed person, they are forced to defend themselves.”
Chell said responding officers found the man, who has not yet been publicly named, walking around the area carrying a 14-inch knife. The officers Tased the man several times, but they seemed to have little to no effect. According to Chell, the officers ordered the man to drop the knife, but he ignored them and eventually lunged at the officers, at which point they opened fire.
According to police, the 61-year-old had two documented incidents of mental disorder with the NYPD.
The NYPD said the entire incident was recorded on policy body-worn cameras and surveillance cameras from nearby commercial buildings. Videos of the encounter have surfaced on news sites and social media, showing officers with either pistols or Tasers drawn pursuing a man holding what appears to be a knife while quickly walking away from them.
The NYPD has not said how many times the man was shot, but evidence markers placed near shell casings after the shooting indicate at least a dozen bullets were fired.
In a joint statement released the same morning of the shooting, Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas said Monday’s shooting is emblematic of a growing mental health crisis and a police force unable to handle it.
“As we await more details, here are things we know: there are glaring gaps in our city’s mental health infrastructure,” they said. “There are glaring gaps in our city’s emergency response infrastructure, particularly as it relates to New Yorkers with mental illness. Our community is reeling and our hearts are broken. This is not true public safety.”
The situation is still under active investigation and the identities of the man and officers involved have not yet been released.
