On Sunday afternoon, a 49-year-old male, being pursued on foot by five members of the New York City police, took out a gun, and pointed it at a passerby before officers opened-fired on him, officials said.
The police began pursuing the suspect after a 63-year-old woman filed a report at the Mott Haven campus. She told police that the man had assaulted her at approximately 2:20 p.m. on 153rd Street in Concourse Village West, cops said.
“It was a nice day today,” Chief of Patrol John Chell said as he described the scene of the crime. “There were numerous people out in the street.”
When police caught up with the accused, they ordered him to stop, which he refused to do, police said. Instead, he pulled out a firearm.
According to Chell, officers gave the pursued man repeated instructions to “drop the firearm,” which he did not heed.
When the pursuit reached 153rd Street and Grand Concourse, the officers continued to order the man to put his weapon down, but he continued to refuse. He put the gun to his own head, and then quickly pointed it at the officers.
Policemen fired shots at the perpetrator, striking him in numerous places on his body. Chell said the officers rendered aid, and took the suspect into custody.
He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, cops said. The woman who filed the assault complaint against him is also in the hospital, according to officials. Her injuries are unknown, but police said he struck her.
