Michael Dotel: Bronx man shot dead for holding knife to mother's throat and using her as 'human shield'

BRONX, UNITED STATES: A Bronx man, nicknamed 'The Hulk' by his relatives because of his extraordinary strength, had three active criminal cases against him when he was shot dead by police while holding his mother at knifepoint.

According to law enforcement sources, Michael Dotel, 30, was wanted by police after choking and stabbing his mother in Bedford Park before they opened fire. One of the ongoing cases against him concerned a drug warrant.

Michael Dotel faced three arrest warrants

When police approached Dotel at his family's Creston Avenue apartment, which is located on the 13th floor, at approximately 11.20 am, they discovered that he was facing three outstanding arrest warrants and a history of mental illness.

Dotel held a knife to his 45-year-old mother's throat and choked her so severely that she passed out, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, who told reporters that Dotel disregarded "many" requests from police to put down the weapon.

“Either kill me or kill her!” According to the victim's husband, Dotel yelled at the police. According to the husband, he was going to slit his mother's throat when he was shot in the head by the police.

“I was standing next to the officer. The officer told him three times to [put] the knife down, let her go,” said the man, who asked not to be identified. “If [the officer] wouldn’t have done that, my wife would be dead. [Dotel] was using her as a body shield.”

Michael Dotel had history of drug use and mental illness

After being taken to St Barnabas Hospital, Dotel was declared deceased. Dotel had a history of drug use and mental illness, according to his mother's spouse. According to records, he is involved in at least two active cases in the Bronx.

These include a menacing bust and an assault case involving a child and a gun, both of which are independent incidents that occurred in August, The New York Post reported.

According to sources, at the time of his run-in with law enforcement, Dotel was also wanted on a warrant for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

His enormous strength and build earned him the nickname "The Hulk," according to relatives.

After being contacted on Sunday for information regarding the pending cases against Dotel, the Bronx District Attorney's Office did not immediately reply.