NYPD officers shot and killed a 54-year-old man on Sunday after he approached them with a butcher knife. The incident took place inside a Lower East Side apartment building.
Authorities responded to multiple 911 calls regarding an assault in progress at 126 Ludlow Street shortly after 4 p.m. Assistant Chief Melissa Eger explained during a news conference that officers discovered a trail of blood leading up the staircase.
While going upstairs, officers encountered Wei Chan, who was descending the staircase with the knife. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon. Despite these commands, Chan advanced towards them. Officers then fired, hitting Chan. He was transported to a hospital where he later died.
Assistant Chief Eger noted that Chan had no criminal record but did have a mental health history. Additionally, police found Chan’s 75-year-old father, Cheung Chan, with a head laceration. Wei Chan had injured his father before officers arrived. Cheung Chan was also hospitalized and is expected to survive. Officers on the scene were taken to a hospital for evaluation as well.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that an internal investigation would follow, and body-camera footage would be made public. “Their actions are a reminder of how officers run towards danger,” Eger added.
The details surrounding the shooting are still being investigated.
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