Police Shoot Man Armed with Knife on Brooklyn Bridge

Police shot and killed a man on the Brooklyn Bridge early Friday after he lunged at an officer with a knife, concluding an hour-long standoff in which he claimed to have a bomb and expressed a desire to die. The incident began around 3:30 a.m. when the man was seen walking on the bridge cables. Officers from the NYPD's Emergency Response Unit (ESU) attempted to persuade him to come down to safety, according to ESU Chief Gerard V. Dowling. Dowling reported that the man stated, 'I want to die, I want you to kill me, I have a bomb, you’re going to make me do something bad to the cops.' Despite multiple commands to come down and drop the weapon, he continued to ignore police for about an hour. The situation escalated when the man descended the cable toward the line of ESU officers, who were secured in harnesses on the bridge. When he was within three feet of an officer, he lunged at them with the knife. In response, an ESU officer discharged his weapon once, striking the man. He was subsequently transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Police recovered a knife and flashlight at the scene. Chief Dowling noted that ESU members are specially trained for high-risk situations. The standoff caused significant disruptions to the morning commute, with all Brooklyn-bound lanes closed from approximately 4:15 a.m. until about 8:30 a.m.