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[UPDATE] Police Shoot A Man In The Chest In Fort Greene
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 2, 2013
Modified Jan 2, 2013
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DCPI
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 2, 2013
Modified Jan 2, 2013
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A man was shot in the chest by the NYPD this afternoon in Fort Greene. According to the New York Times the victim is 40 years old, and was shot around 3:30 p.m. inside 48 Fort Greene Place. An NYPD spokesman declined to comment on the shooting, while an FDNY spokesman confirmed the victim was a male who was in serious condition.
NBC is reporting that the victim "lunged" at officers with a sharp object before he was shot, and has "psychological issues."
We'll update when we have more information.
[UPDATE // 4:56 PM] NYPD spokesman Paul Browne gave this statement to the Times on the shooting:
“You have a police officer in uniform in a marked police car,” said Paul J. Browne, the head police spokesman. “He is returning from a court appearance. He was flagged down by a woman at this location. He goes inside the building with this woman, and this guy comes at her and him with scissors and the officer fires two times, striking the assailant.”
The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital Center, and his name is still unknown.
[UPDATE // 5:15 PM] The landlord at 48 Fort Green Place, Joe Smalowski, arrived at his building 20 minutes ago. "I don't believe this involved my tenants," Smalowski said, adding that he has owned the building "for a long time" and has never had any serious problems with tenants. "It's a quiet building on a quiet block, that's all I can really tell you. The police aren't telling me anything, either."
[UPDATE // 7:15 PM] The NYPD has released a statement regarding the incident. After being flagged down by a woman on Fulton Street, the officer found the 40-year-old man on the second floor of the building holding a pair of scissors to his own throat. According to the release, "The man then threw the female to the ground and threatened to stab her with the scissors." The officer, who is 25 years old, then fired his weapon twice, "stopping [the man's] advance." The suspect is listed in critical condition at Kings County Hospital, while the officer was treated for tinnitus at Methodist Hospital. The woman involved was uninjured.
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Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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