Knife-Wielding Man Shot By Cops In East Harlem: NYPD

HARLEM, NYC — The NYPD shot a knife-wielding man who was attempting to stab a group of people in East Harlem, the department said.

Police said an unknown person ran into the 23rd Precinct in East Harlem around 5:30 p.m. to tell cops that a man armed with a knife was chasing a group of people and trying to stab them.

A uniformed sergeant and two officers left the station to investigate and saw a 36-year-old man running down the sidewalk, allegedly trying to stab someone.

The officers commanded the man to drop his weapon, but he did not obey and continued to chase the victim.

"The situation was extremely chaotic and fast," Assistant Chief Ruel Stephenson said.

At one point, the suspect attempted to attack the three officers with his knife, narrowly avoiding striking one officer's face by a few inches, police said.

One officer then attempted to deploy a taser and hit the man — but it was ineffective, Stephenson said.

"The sergeant, seeing the male trying to slash the officer, has no choice but to discharge his firearm," Stephenson added.

The officer fired a single round, striking the man in the buttocks. Police stated that the entire encounter lasted 34 seconds.

The suspect was placed into custody and taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries, officials said.

"He has a documented history of mental illness with the department," Stephenson said.

No civilians were injured during the attempted knife attack, an NYPD spokesperson said.

Police added that an investigation is currently underway.