A man carrying a knife was fatally shot by New York Police Department officers on the Brooklyn Bridge after police said he moved towards them during an attempt to bring him down safely.
Officers were called shortly before 3.30am on Friday after reports of a man walking on the bridge’s beams and cables. Members of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit found him above the roadway and spent almost an hour trying to persuade him to come down.
Police said the man told officers he wanted to die and claimed he had a bomb. He was also seen holding a knife, according to Gerry Dowling, the commanding officer of the Emergency Service Unit.
The officers had clipped themselves to the bridge for safety as they approached him. Mr Dowling said the equipment significantly restricted their movement while they tried to keep their distance.
Police said the man eventually began moving quickly along the cable towards the officers. When he was within about three feet of the closest member of the unit, he raised the knife towards them, prompting another officer positioned on the roadbed to fire once.
The man was struck and officers carried out life-saving measures before bringing him down from the bridge. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A knife and a torch were recovered at the scene, while police body-camera footage captured the incident. The man’s identity had not been released.
The Brooklyn-bound side of the bridge was closed for several hours as officers investigated, causing significant delays on surrounding roads. New York City officials later said the bridge had reopened.
