Police in the Bronx shot a man who called 911 for help on Sunday evening after they mistook him for a knife-wielding assailant charging at them, authorities said.
According to police officials, the peculiar incident unfolded when a 32-year-old man residing at 335 East 148th St. in Mott Haven dialed 911 at around 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 12 and told the operator in Spanish that a man was attempting to steal his air conditioner.
However, when two female officers arrived on the second floor, they could not locate the caller, so they attempted to return down the staircase. They then encountered the 32-year-old man walking up the stairs while carrying a knife in his right hand.
Police say the man had entered the building from the side door leading to an alleyway after attempting to confront an apparent burglar, which is why he was carrying the blade.
“One officer gave the male verbal commands, telling them to ’wait, wait, wait,’ and also telling them to ‘drop it, drop it,’ while also putting her hand up to motion for him to stop,” Deputy Chief at Force Investigation Division Rohan Griffith said. “The male continued to swiftly approach the officers, still with the knife in his right hand. One officer discharged her firearm, striking the male in the torso.”
EMS rushed the victim to Lincoln Hospital in stable condition; he is expected to survive, police sources said.
A source familiar with the incident revealed that the whole thing took place in an extremely tight staircase and unfolded in a matter of mere seconds. Investigators are looking into whether there could have been a language barrier between the cops and 911 caller.
Even so, Griffith emphasized that one of the officers also attempted to signal him to stop with her hand.
“We do know that the 911 caller, when he called 911, he spoke Spanish. An interpreter was used for the call. We have to ascertain if the officers themselves understood what he was saying and vice versa,” Griffith.
Police say they are also working to identify the burglar, who appeared to have made a getaway.
The NYPD’s Force Investigation Division is investigating the incident; the bureau is responsible for investigating all police shootings.
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