Armed man climbs Brooklyn Bridge, raises knife at officer before being fatally shot

Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A man was fatally shot by New York City police on Friday, September 4, after an overnight standoff on the Brooklyn Bridge escalated when he moved toward officers while holding a knife, authorities said.

The encounter began in the early hours after a 911 caller reported someone moving along the bridge’s elevated beams.

Police said officers spent roughly an hour attempting to persuade the man to come down before the confrontation turned deadly.

Knife-wielding man threatened cops

The incident began at approximately 3.30 am, when police received a report of a man walking along the Brooklyn Bridge and attempting to jump off. 

Emergency Service Unit officers arrived and found him on the bridge cables, according to ESU commanding officer Gerald Dowling.

Specially trained officers climbed onto the cables and attempted to communicate with the man.

Rather than immediately confronting him, they tried to persuade him to leave the structure safely.

During the prolonged interaction, officers discovered that the man was carrying a knife. 

The man also told officers, “I want to d*e. I want you to kill me. I have a bomb. You are not going to make me do something bad to the cops.”

Police continued issuing commands for him to put the knife down while trying to keep the situation from escalating.

Below is the video of ESU commanding officer Gerald Dowling giving details of the incident to the media.

Man shot dead after escalation

The situation changed when the man suddenly began moving down the cable toward the officers.

Officers attempted to retreat as the man approached. According to Dowling, however, the man was moving faster than the officers could reposition themselves.

When he came to within about three feet of the nearest ESU officer, police said he raised the knife toward the officer.

A separate ESU officer positioned on the bridge roadway then fired one round, striking the man.

Officers subsequently brought him down from the cable and provided medical assistance.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators recovered a knife and a flashlight at the scene. No bomb has been found so far.

The identity of the man has not been publicly released. Video below shows the aftermath of the incident.

The incident occurred only days after another deadly police shooting in New York City.

In that case, officers shot and killed a woman in Times Square after police said she attacked two people with knives, killing a 32-year-old woman later identified as Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti.

Zohran Mamdani confirms internal investigation

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacted, saying the officers attempted to resolve the situation without using deadly force. 

According to the mayor, police spent about an hour trying to de-escalate the encounter and urged the man not to jump.

Mamdani said the man was armed with a knife and moved dangerously close to several officers before one responding officer fired.

The fatal shooting will now be examined by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.

Mamdani said an internal investigation is standard after an officer fires a weapon and indicated that body-camera footage would be released.