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Police fatally shoot man in Brownsville after he charged at officers with knife, NYPD says
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Phil Corso
Published May 13, 2025
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By
Giulia Heyward
and
Phil Corso
Published May 13, 2025
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Police fatally shot a 25-year-old man Tuesday afternoon inside a Brownsville apartment after he allegedly brandished a knife and advanced toward officers who were responding to a domestic dispute, police said.
NYPD Chief of Housing Charles McEvoy said the shooting happened around 2:57 p.m. inside 108 Christopher Ave., part of the NYCHA Glenmore Plaza housing development. Officers were dispatched after a woman called 911 and said the father of her children was on his way to the apartment and had threatened to kill her, officials said.
She told dispatchers he was known to carry weapons, including machetes and hammers and was enraged that another man had been watching their children, authorities said.
“When officers from police service area two arrived, they entered the apartment with the caller and discovered that an individual, a 25-year-old male was already inside,” McEvoy said during a Tuesday evening press conference. “ Within seconds of entering the apartment, the man brandished a knife from his waistband and moved towards the officers.”
One officer deployed a Taser, but it failed to subdue him, police said. A second officer then fired two shots, striking the man in the chest, authorities said.
Officers began life-saving measures and requested EMS, officials said. The man was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
His identity has not yet been released, and police have not said whether he had a criminal history.
Neither the woman nor the children in the apartment were physically harmed, McEvoy said. A knife was recovered at the scene.
Both officers were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The incident was captured on their body-worn cameras and is being investigated by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.
It was the fifth fatal police shooting in New York City this year, according to previous reporting by Gothamist.
This is a developing story based on preliminary information from the NYPD and may be updated.
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brooklyn
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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