Yesterday afternoon, police fatally shot a knife-wielding man after a dramatic chase around Times Square. The 51-year-old suspect, now identified as Darrius Kennedy, was stopped by cops near 44 Street and 7th Avenue around 3:10 p.m. for smoking what appeared to be marijuana when he suddenly pulled out an 11-inch knife. He then began backing down 7th Avenue while holding the knife. You can see video of police, as well as pedestrians, following the action below.
According to police spokesman Paul Browne, six blasts of pepper spray failed to slow down Kennedy. “He looked like he was crazy,” witness Jalloh Osman told the News. “They sprayed him, and he kept going backwards. They kept telling him, ‘Put it down! Put it down!’ But he refused.” When Kennedy got to 38th Street, police say he lunged at them with the knife.
According to the Post, Kennedy shouted “Shoot me! Shoot me!” to police just before he lunged at them. Kennedy was taken to Bellevue Hospital, and pronounced dead about 40 minutes after the shooting.
