Michael Dotel death: NYPD cop shoots deranged suspect as he holds mother hostage in bodycam video

Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised

BRONX, NEW YORK: Recently released video footage from the New York Police Department shows the harrowing moment when officer Alex Morgese fired a single fatal shot at suspect Michael Dotel. The 30-year-old was holding his mother hostage in a chokehold inside a Bronx apartment and claimed he possessed a knife.

The tense confrontation unfolded on December 23, with Dotel falling backward and subsequently being pronounced dead at St Barnabas Hospital. The video can be seen here.

Timeline of tragic shooting

The NYPD had received a 911 call around 11.30 am, reporting a potentially drug-affected individual acting violently while armed with a knife in the Bedford Park neighborhood. Dotel had the victim in a chokehold, applying pressure with both arms, prompting the police to intervene.

As the victim began losing consciousness, Officer Morgese and his partner were faced with a critical dilemma. Dotel, using his mother as a shield, defiantly dared the officers to shoot him, shouting, "Shoot me, shoot me," as revealed in the newly released bodycam footage.

Morgese repeatedly demanded that Dotel, who had a history of mental illness and three open criminal cases against him, drop the knife, to which the suspect responded, "I got the knife," moments before the fatal shot was fired.

Shock after tragedy

The initial police narrative indicated Dotel held his mother at knifepoint, but an updated account suggested he only claimed to possess the knife. A photograph of a large carving knife found at the scene was released, though an inquiry seeking clarification from the NYPD remains unanswered.

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, during a press conference, described the incident as a "complete tragedy during this holiday season." Commending the officers for their composure, Chell asserted that their actions saved the lives of family members.

The husband of the victim echoed this sentiment, expressing that the police had no alternative but to shoot Dotel. “I was standing next to the officer. The officer told him three times to (put) down the knife, let her go. He said, ‘Either kill me or I’ll kill her,’” the husband stated, as per New York Post.

The internal investigation into the shooting is ongoing, as confirmed by NYPD’s assistant commissioner for public information, Carlos Nieves. Additionally, the New York Attorney General’s Office announced an investigation days after the incident, which remains ongoing as of Sunday night.