New York City police officers fatally shot a 54-year-old man Sunday afternoon after he advanced toward them with a large butcher knife inside a Lower East Side apartment building, authorities said.
The shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. at 126 Ludlow Street, where officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting an assault in progress, NYPD Assistant Chief Melissa Eger said during a news conference Sunday evening.
Officers entered the building and found a trail of blood leading upstairs. They encountered Wei Chan, 54, coming down the staircase while armed with what police described as a large butcher knife. Officers repeated commands for him to show his hands and drop the weapon, but he continued to advance, Eger said.
According to police, the officers then opened fire, striking Chan. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Eger noted that Chan had no known criminal history but had a documented mental health history with the department.
Authorities also found Chan’s 75-year-old father, Cheung Chan, suffering from a head laceration. Police said Wei Chan injured his father before police arrived. The elder Chan was also taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. The officers involved were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the incident would undergo an internal investigation. He also stated that body-worn camera footage would be released once the review is complete. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, police said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
