Police officers killed two allegedly armed men in the span of just over six hours in Brooklyn last night and early this morning. According to the NYPD, both men were armed: Last night police fatally shot a 63-year-old man who was allegedly wielding a knife in a Canarsie apartment, and this morning police fatally shot an 18-year-old man who was allegedly armed with a handgun in Crown Heights.
The first shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. NYPD Chief of Patrol Terence A. Monahan said in a statement that "uniformed officers from the 69th Precinct responded to a 911 call for a non-violent emotionally disturbed person inside of 967 East 99 Street. Upon arrival, officers were met by a female who let them inside. As the officers entered, the male emerged from a back room and retrieved a 13-inch knife from the kitchen and advanced towards the officers. One of the officers deployed a taser at the male which had no effect. The male continued to advance toward the officers with the knife and a second officer discharged his firearm and requested an ambulance."
The man, James Owens, was reportedly shot multiple times and pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital. It's believed his sister called 911. Police released an image of the knife:
(DCPI)
At 3:40 a.m. today, Monahan said that three plainclothes cops—a sergeant and two officers—heard gunfire near the B-Hive Lounge Lounge at 990 Atlantic Avenue, where they "saw a male firing a gun into a lounge."
According to the NYPD statement, the officers "exited their vehicle and identified themselves to the suspect, who ran from the officers. The suspect turned on the officers with his gun in hand and the two police officers discharged their weapons striking the suspect in the torso." WABC 7 reports, "Police said they do not think the man fired the weapon at police."
The suspect, Joshua Martino, 18, was pronounced dead at Brooklyn Hospital; an image of his gun was also released:
(DCPI)
Speaking about the shootings this morning, Monahan told reporters, "This is something that happens. It's a big city."
