NEW YORK CITY, NY – A troubling family altercation in the Bronx led to fatal police intervention Saturday morning. Upon responding to a call for assistance, officers encountered a disturbing scene and ended up shooting a man who was threatening his own family members with a knife.
The incident happened around 11 a.m. at an apartment on Creston Avenue in Bedford Park. When officers reached the scene, they were met by a terrified 19-year-old woman, the girlfriend of the involved man, who was frantically leaving the apartment with slash wounds on her face.
The officers then ventured into the apartment to find the 30-year-old man holding his mother in a headlock while dangerously brandishing a large carving knife against her throat. The man’s 45-year-old mother was wounded and bleeding.
According to translations of the victim’s Spanish remarks, her son had suddenly lunged at her, provoking fears of a heart attack. The son was reportedly threatening to kill the entire family and himself.
Despite numerous pleas from the officers to drop his weapon, the man refused to cooperate. The police say they were forced to fire a shot, which struck the perpetrator in the head. The injured man was rushed to the hospital, where he was later declared dead.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell expressed relief in the wake of the horrific scenario, characterizing the situation as a “complete tragedy during this holiday season.” He continued by thanking the officers for their diverse efficiency that saved the family’s life.
While the immediate cause of the violent altercation was not explicit, the police noted a record of domestic disputes at the apartment. The building’s residents mentioned that the building is home to people suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues.