A man was shot and killed by police following a chase set off by an alleged robbery in the Bronx early this morning. James Torres, 44, died of two gunshot wounds to the chest.
According to the police report, officers were flagged down by a man in the West Bronx, alerting them he had just been robbed. After a quick search, Torres was found by officers around Jerome Avenue and West 179th street. He fled into a building on Davidson Avenue, but officers were right behind him, and during a "physical altercation" inside the building, one unnamed officer shot Torres twice in the chest. He was taken to St. Barnabus Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Metro reports that Torres had a lengthy rap sheet, including robbery, petit larceny, as well as trespassing and assault. A gun (above) was found on Torres, although it's unclear whether he drew his weapon on police.
Torres had allegedly stolen an iPhone and some cash from a 24-year-old in a Chase Bank ATM vestibule before the victim alerted the police.
