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Police fatally shoot Bronx man inside 7-Eleven after alleged knife threat
By
Christian Santana
and
Bahar Ostadan
Published Sep 9, 2023
Modified Sep 10, 2023
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By
Christian Santana
and
Bahar Ostadan
Published Sep 9, 2023
Modified Sep 10, 2023
Share
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Police fatally shot a man inside a Bronx 7-Eleven on Saturday afternoon after police say he threatened an officer and an employee with a knife.
The man, who police have not named but told Gothamist was 22 years old and Black, paced around the Throgs Neck convenience store for roughly 20 minutes around 2:10 p.m., according to the NYPD.
An employee who had stepped outside the store returned to find the man standing behind the cashier counter holding a knife beside a female employee who looked “very nervous,” NYPD Assistant Chief of Patrol in the Bronx Benjamin Gurley said during a news conference. The man was allegedly pulling merchandise off the shelves.
An employee ran to the NYPD 45th precinct around the corner and returned with two police officers.
“As the officers approached, one officer gave several commands to the male inside the location to take his hands out of his sweatshirt pocket,” Gurley said.
The man didn’t say anything to the police officers, according to Gurley, but revealed a knife and lunged at one of them. The officer shot the man once in the torso, police said.
“Both officers then immediately rendered first aid” and called for an emergency medical response, Gurley said.
The man was pronounced dead at 3:14 p.m. at Jacobi Hospital, according to police.
Gurley said it was the first time a 7-Eleven employee had seen the man, but said he lived in the Bronx. The chief said he “had police contact before,” but would not provide details of his arrest record.
The officer, who police declined to name, will not be suspended, Gurley said.
Police have body worn camera footage and surveillance video of the incident, Gurley said. The city’s medical examiner has not released a report on the man’s cause of death.
This is the fourth known police killing in New York City in 2023. A spokesperson for the state Attorney General, who is required by law to investigate all police killings, said the office is conducting a preliminary review of the incident.
In April, police shot and killed a 78-year-old man in his doorway while looking for a burglary suspect. Last month, police fatally shot a man inside an apartment building lobby who was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis. Several weeks later, a NYPD sergeant chucked a picnic cooler at a man fleeing police, knocking him off his moped and killing him.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Tagged
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public safety
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Christian Santana
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Bahar Ostadan
Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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