Brooklyn Police Shooting: NYPD Officer Kills Man In East Flatbush Apartment

EAST FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN — A local police officer shot and killed a man inside an East Flatbush apartment Monday afternoon, according to the NYPD.

The 32-year-old man was pronounced dead just before 1 p.m. inside 1370 New York Avenue, near Foster Avenue, police and fire officials said.

Four police officers responded to the fifth-floor apartment around 12:30 p.m. after getting a 9-1-1 call from the man's mother, who said he was "nonviolent" but "emotionally disturbed," according to the NYPD's Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan.

The mother opened the door, and when officers walked in, the man charged toward them holding "a large carving knife," Monahan told reporters outside of the building. One officer Tased the man, which didn't slow him down Monahan said.

A second officer shot him in the chest; the man was pronounced dead on the scene, Monahan said. It was not immediately clear how many shots were fired.

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Authorities released this picture of the knife:

City Councilman Jumaane Williams, who represents the area, said in a statement that "While news is developing around the incident, I am nonetheless concerned with the loss of life that occurred.

"In particular, whether protocols were followed for dealing with a call for an Emotionally Disturbed Person," he continued. "Until we get further information, I ask that we keep our prayers with the family."

Steve Coe, the CEO of Community Access, a nonprofit that provides services to people with mental health concerns, said in a statement that killing people who are emotionally disturbed "is still all too common."

"Though we don’t know all the details of this afternoon’s shooting, we do know that not enough police officers have received Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), an evidence-based, 40-hour program where officers learn how to properly defuse a situation with a person exhibiting emotional distress," Coe said.

In the aftermath of the shooting, nearly a dozen police officers were gathered outside the apartment building, which was blocked off by police tape. A large crowd of onlookers were also standing nearby.

Regina Blain, 22, said she lives in a neighboring building and heard our gun shots. She told Patch the man had "emotional problems" but never seemed threatening.

"He would stomp his feet a little, weird stuff like that," Blain said. "I was shocked that it happened because he's a cool person."

"Police lives matter but our lives matter too," Blain added. "It's like absurd because this police crime going on, it's not fair ... They treat us here like we're animals."

Jean Daly, a 14-year-old girl who also lives nearby, said she saw someone being wheeled out of the building by EMTs.

"I couldn't see the person, he was laying down," Daly told Patch. "He was very cool, he wasn't really a trouble maker."

The New York City Mayor's office said Bill de Blasio had been briefed on the incident.

Photos and on-scene reporting by Kathleen Culliton (Patch Staff)