Police in New York City fired upon two men Saturday evening, killing each in separate incidents where top officials allege the suspects brandished a firearm and shot at officers.
Unfolding within hours of each other, officers attempting arrests in Queens and Brooklyn exchanged gunfire that took the lives of a man who threated city and state officials and another that fled a traffic stop, law enforcement officials claim.
The deadly gun battle in Queens occurred first, around 6:30 p.m., when NYPD officials said officers responded to a residence on 116th Avenue in St. Albans to check on a 911 caller who made numerous threats, and warned he'd "blow the head off of the first police officers that he saw," Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Maddrey said late Saturday at a media briefing.
A team of officers responding to back-to-back 911 calls from the man were approaching his residence when the man emerged and began shouting at the cops, Maddrey said. The man, not yet identified by officials, allegedly swore at the officers and ignored commands to remove his hands from his pockets and raise them in the air.
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Following a short verbal exchange, the caller allegedly pulled a firearm, pointing it in the direction of the officers, according to the police account. What followed was an exchange of gunfire between the man and six officers, Maddrey said.
The exact numbers of bullets fired is not yet known, but officials estimate officers fired "north of 100" rounds. Evidence markers littered the street where investigators combed through the aftermath.
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Maddrey said the officers "put him down," and placed the man in handcuffs before attempting life-saving measures, including CPR. None were successful, and he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Approximately one hour later, another uniformed officer was exchanging gunfire with a man who allegedly fled a traffic stop in Brooklyn.
According to the police department, officers performed a traffic stop at Nevins Street and Flatbush Ave around 7:30 p.m. After engaging the occupants of the vehicle for 7-8 minutes, Maddrey said the passengers inside were asked to exit.
That's when one of the passengers allegedly fled on foot, with an officer in close pursuit down Flatbush.
A brief chase and effort to lose the cop ended when Maddrey said the man pulled out a gun and shot at the officer, who returned fire and struck the man in the chest. He was taken to the hospital where he died.
None of the involved officers were struck by gunfire, but a number were treated for tinnitus. Investigators were still at each shooting scene late Saturday.
