Police shoot and kill Queens man armed with box cutter, NYPD says

One man is dead after an NYPD officer opened fire on him as he held a box cutter and charged at officers early Sunday morning in Far Rockaway, Queens, authorities said.

The 29-year-old man — whose name has not been released — was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital, said Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera. Officers had responded to a 911 call placed around 12:25 a.m.

Rivera said police were met by the man’s parents outside an apartment on Nameoke Street.

“The officers searched the apartment. However, the male was not inside. As the officers and the parents were exiting the apartment, the male was observed in the hallway outside of the apartment with a box cutter in his hand,” the chief said at a Sunday morning news conference. “The father of the male immediately engaged in an altercation with his son, which then became physical.”

Police officials said the officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the weapon, but he refused to comply.

“The father disengaged from the physical altercation with his son and retreated behind the uniformed police officers. At this point, the 29-year-old male, still armed with a box cutter, charged at the officers,” Rivera said.

One officer fired a Taser. A second officer who was standing close to the man then shot him, striking him as he continued to charge toward police, Rivera said. The department shared a photo of the box cutter which they say was recovered at the scene.

Police say they performed CPR on the man before he was taken to the hospital. The entire incident was captured on bodycam video, said Rivera.

“This incident once again demonstrates the dangers that our police officers face every day,” he told reporters.

The NYPD Force Investigation Division will investigate the shooting, as is standard procedure. The New York State Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation is also expected to review the incident, as it routinely examines deaths caused by police officers.

This is a developing story. Watch News 4 New York at 6:00 PM for the latest.