The suspect was off his medication and under the influence of marijuana
He is seen on video swinging a large knife at officer whose back is turned
The 21-year-old backed police into an elevator before they shot him dead
Freshly-released bodycam footage shows the moment a New York man rushed at cops swinging a kitchen knife before he was shot dead in a flurry of bullets.
The 21-year-old was off his medication and high on marijuana, according to a relative who called the New York Police Department to report a disturbance.
The young man had been threatening a family member in the Roosevelt Landings apartment complex at 540 Main Street, Roosevelt Island around 11:30pm on August 4.
Cameras were rolling on at least four of the officers who arrived – officers Virealla-Abreu, Birch, Mehr and Mazza – which have now been released by New York Attorney Genera Letitia James in a routine investigation after the man’s death.
The nightmarish ordeal began when police stepped into the lobby, with one group preparing to head up to the apartment while another stayed to prop the door open for backup.
The 21-year-old suspect rushed at an officer who was facing away from him while brandishing a knife
The officer and his partner fled behind the lobby door where another office was standing
The young man then stepped into an officer where three other officers had been preparing to head up to his apartment. He was shot dead after a taser proved ineffective and he continued to move toward the cops
Three officers entered an elevator, one carrying a shield. Three others hung back in the hallway, working to prop the door open with a person in plainclothes who appeared to be a civilian.
Suddenly, the suspect – who has not been named – stepped out of a different elevator and ran down the hallway at an officer whose back was turned, swinging a knife.
The officers in the lobby fled back behind the door and the man abruptly turned toward the elevator, clutching the weapon.
He was clad in a white t-shirt emblazoned with the logo from Drake’s record label, OVO, along with black sweatpants and Nike Jordan sneakers with bright green laces.
Officer Abreu drew a taser, pointing it into man’s chest, but he did not flinch. Abreu then shoved and kicked the suspect as he drew closer. Standing on either side of the officer, Mehr and Mazza drew their guns and opened fire.
The suspect fell backwards out of elevator as a hailstorm of bullets struck his chest.
Strewn on the ground, he raised his right arm, still clutching the knife, before it fell limply to his chest.
NYPD Crime Stoppers later released an image of the knife. It appears to have blood on it, though it is unclear whose.
The officers performed first aid until an ambulance arrived. EMS took the young man to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:28am on August 5.
NYPD held a press conference at 2:20am, just hours later.
Assistant Chief Christine Bastedenbeck, NYPD commanding officer of Patrol Borough Queens North, explained what had happened to bewildered residents and members of the media.
‘Thankfully none of the officers or civilians in the area were injured during this incident,’ she said.
On September 8, bodycam footage was released at the direction of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
A press release accompanied the video, explaining that it had been released as part of an investigation by the Office of Special Investigation (OSI).
Under New York State Executive Law Secton 70-b, OSI is required to assess every incident where a suspect is killed by police.
If an assessment indicates that an officer caused the death, this sparks a full investigation into officers’ conduct.
