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Man police shot in Brooklyn hospital was former NYPD officer, police said
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 9, 2026
Modified Jan 9, 2026
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By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 9, 2026
Modified Jan 9, 2026
Share
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The man police shot and killed inside a Brooklyn hospital Thursday evening was a former NYPD officer who had barricaded himself in a room and threatened to kill two people with a broken part of a hospital toilet, authorities said.
Michael Lynch, 62, of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, resigned from the NYPD in the 1990s, according to police officials and his family.
Police said they did not know why Lynch was at the hospital Thursday and were still investigating the circumstances that led to the confrontation.
Officers responded to multiple 911 calls around 5:27 p.m. reporting a violent man armed with what was described at the time as a knife inside NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, police said. When they arrived, hospital staff told them a man had barricaded himself in a room on the eighth floor with a security guard in his 50s and a patient in her 70s, police officials said.
Lynch had cut himself with a sharp object fashioned from a broken toilet from inside the hospital and was threatening to kill the two others in the room, police said. Officers found blood on the walls, floor and splattered across the exterior of the door, according to authorities.
Officers spent several minutes interacting with Lynch, a police spokesperson said. They first issued dozens of verbal commands over approximately three minutes, telling him to drop the weapon, according to the spokesperson. During that time, officers fired both a Taser and a gun, but neither struck Lynch, the spokesperson said.
Lynch then attempted to close the door, and officers struggled to gain entry for another four minutes while continuing to issue verbal commands, according to the spokesperson. Officers again deployed Tasers, which were ineffective, the spokesperson said.
Officers then fired their weapons again, fatally striking Lynch, the spokesperson said. He was pronounced dead a short time later, authorities said. Police have not said how many times officers fired or where he was struck.
A spokesperson for NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital declined to answer questions, citing patient privacy but said the hospital remains open and is still accepting patients. Officials with the police union declined to comment.
A relative of Lynch’s who answered the phone on Friday said the family was struggling to process the news, and that the behavior police described was out of character for him.
Tagged
brooklyn
nypd
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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