Knife-wielding man gunned down by cops in Times Square

NYPost.com ^ | 8/12/21012 | LARRY CELONA, AARON FEIS and ANNIE KARNI

[raybbr]

Cops shot a knife-wielding maniac dead on a packed Midtown street yesterday after several officers drew their weapons and chased him at gunpoint through Times Square.

“Shoot me! Shoot me!” the armed madman shouted at a crowd of more than 20 cops, who had followed him for several blocks and blasted him with pepper spray before cornering him on Seventh Avenue near West 38th Street, according to witness Robert James.

The furious 51-year-old finally lunged at the officers with his 11-inch butcher knife, leading two cops to blast him in the torso, groin and arms at about 3 p.m., police said.

SNIP

Cops shot a knife-wielding maniac dead on a packed Midtown street yesterday after several officers drew their weapons and chased him at gunpoint through Times Square.

“Shoot me! Shoot me!” the armed madman shouted at a crowd of more than 20 cops, who had followed him for several blocks and blasted him with pepper spray before cornering him on Seventh Avenue near West 38th Street, according to witness Robert James.

The furious 51-year-old finally lunged at the officers with his 11-inch butcher knife, leading two cops to blast him in the torso, groin and arms at about 3 p.m., police said.

[Nepeta]

Tasers have been pulled from use by the police in my fair city after someone croaked following their application.

That leaves bean bags.

I didn't think the Star Trek aspect was at all silly. People assume there has to be a way to keep things clean and pretty, but the reality is someone brandishing a butcher knife in the middle of Manhattan is a problem, and the resolution is probably not going to be clean and pretty. If the guy had gotten to a citizen--let's milk it for maximum emotion--and cut the throat of a 4 year old, there would be an uproar about failure to stop him in time.

[dfwgator]

“I’m MACHO MAN....I’ll take that knife and shove it down you a$$!”

Then in one minute you’ll go from “MACHO MAN” to “DEAD PERSON”.

-Richard Pryor.

[verum ago]

Oh gawd, visions of the UK are flashing in my head





on a totally unrelated note, when I skimmed the text "11 inch butcher knife" momentarily registered in my head as "11 inch butter knife"

[Gettin Betta]

When I watched the video at the link, it started with an advertisement for Gerber Knives. The commercials must be in a rotation because when I went to confirm what I saw, a different add played. Anyone else see that? Thought that was rather odd!!

[Nepeta]

The number one job of a policeman is not to maximize their own survival. If they can’t accept that, they should get a different job.

I think this would be news to police. They are not pledged to perform like the Secret Service in protecting the president et alia.

My older relatives are all gone, and now I am one, but that said, if I descend into dementia, and am menacing people with a sharpened 11 inch butter knife, I hope I am shot dead before I can hurt any innocents. I don't menace or threaten anyone and if I'm that far gone, I'm not "me" any longer.

[NoGrayZone]

If he was hopped up on something, a taser might not have the same effect as someone who isn’t.

If someone is coming at an officer, ready to stab him, the officer has EVERY RIGHT to kill the sh!thead.

The less thugs on the streets, the better off for us citizens.

[cammie]

“The NYPost knows 38th Street is not Times Square”

They may have chased him down to 38th Street, but the picture with this story shows the cop to be on 7th Avenue between 43rd and 44th. I know this because my office building is in the background of this picture.

[NoGrayZone]

"....so now he screwed up the psyche of cops who would have rather just arrest this miscreant."

So true. I don't think people realize what an officer, or any law abiding citizen, has to go through after taking a life.

It is life altering.

[SampleMan]

Seriously? You want someone to kill you if you ever have a paranoid break? Even though you would likely recover and harm no one? Hell of a living will you got there. Forget DNR, you have JSM (just shoot me).

Should we not then preemptively shoot all Alziemers patients, as they are prone to violence?

I prefer a loving society that only uses lethal force when necessary.

[NoGrayZone]

Hey mom!!!

I don’t believe most people understand these types of situations. An officer, especially the ones who work the ghetto, face on a daily basis.

It’s very easy for us, sitting here in the safety of our protected homes to judge those whom put themselves in harms way on a daily basis.

I always say “thank goodness it’s them and not me. I DO NOT have the courage to stand up against evil on a daily basis and am grateful there are those who do”.

[NoGrayZone]

"What about ‘tranquilizer guns’? Have I watched too many wildlife tag and release videos or do these actually exist - and work?"

Why? So this thug can get out and actually kill an innocent bystander the next time?

Why? So we can spend our stolen tax dollars to house, clothe and feed these monsters for Lord knows how long?

The best way to get rid of evil is to do just that.....GET RID OF IT.

[GeorgeWashingtonsGhost]

Oh man, he got ‘Zimmerman’ed’?

[NoGrayZone]

"Why aren’t cops capable of dealing with crazy people without killing them?"

Perhaps because they are crazy and won't hesitate for a moment to take an officer out? Or perhaps police officers are not "psychologists" who can diagnose a crazy on the scene when his/her life is in danger?

You are obviously not a police officer.

[momtothree]

Plain and simple to me.. the man posed a threat to the officers and the surrounding citizens. I wouldn’t want to get within 35 feet of him since he could charge me. I think it’s a good shot and the police want to go home to their families at night, too. Now, I am the first one to blast (no pun intended) the police when they do something wrong but in my opinion... this shooting is perfectly reasonable to me.

[NoGrayZone]

Amen. People forget sometimes that these officers DO have a family they need to get back home to.

What if it were one of us in that situation? Most on this board would NOT hesitate in bringing the crazy down.

To me there is no difference. Kill or be killed. Very simple concept.

[kingattax]

[Nepeta]

Seriously? You want someone to kill you if you ever have a paranoid break? Even though you would likely recover and harm no one? Hell of a living will you got there. Forget DNR, you have JSM (just shoot me).

Should we not then preemptively shoot all Alziemers patients, as they are prone to violence?

I prefer a loving society that only uses lethal force when necessary.

I've seen dementia up close and personal. These people do not magically become whole again. And no, even if dementia happened that way, I would not want to suddenly become whole and be told, O, by the way, you slashed 5 people and killed 2 others while the police were trying to think of something non-lethal to do with you. As noted elsewhere, killing another person changes people forever. We are mostly hard-wired NOT to kill each other.

Did I say anything about shooting people because they have dementia, or do you think left-wing emotional exaggerations are a substitute for sticking to what was actually said? Or is this really about your nobility and loftiness of character?

A loving society...a loving society protects the innocent, the weak, the young, and the old...it values the victims of crime above the criminals.

[mcleodglen]

Wow, that's a very timely photo there.

[SampleMan]

Clearly, I don't kill crazy people because I consider their knife to be too much for me and 39 of my armed friends to otherwise deal with.

[SampleMan]

So to clarify your position, we are supposed to shoot you if you are crazy and violent. Got it.