QUEENS — Police shot and killed a man who they say lunged at them with a knife in Astoria early Monday morning.
The man was shot at the intersection of 30th Avenue and 31st Street just before 6:30 a.m.
Officers encountered the 61-year-old man who was holding a 14-inch knife while responding to multiple 911 calls.
“There were numerous 911 phone calls with a male and a knife acting erratic, and some of the callers thought he was going to stab someone,” said NYPD Chief of Department John Chell.
The NYPD said officers first attempted to tase the man, but that proved ineffective. They then engaged in a 56-second dialogue with the man, who was in mental distress, asking him to drop the knife.
But, the man did not. He was captured on video advancing towards the officers, who then opened fire.
He was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital.