On Sunday afternoon, NYPD officers fatally shot a 54-year-old man after police said he approached them with a butcher knife in a Lower East Side apartment building. The incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. at 126 Ludlow Street, where officers responded to 911 calls reporting an assault.
Upon entering the building, officers discovered a blood trail leading up a staircase, according to NYPD Assistant Chief Melissa Eger at a news conference. While moving upstairs, officers encountered Wei Chan, 54, descending the staircase with a large butcher knife.
“Officers repeated multiple commands for the male to show his hands in an effort for him to drop the weapon,” Eger explained. Despite commands, Chan continued to advance toward the officers. The officers then opened fire, striking him. Chan was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Eger noted, “He has no known criminal history with our department. However, he does have a documented mental health history.” Alongside Chan, officers found his 75-year-old father, Cheung Chan, who suffered a head laceration inflicted by his son. Cheung Chan was also hospitalized and is expected to recover.
The officers involved were taken to a hospital for evaluation. “Their actions are a reminder of how officers run towards danger and not away from it,” Eger stated.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed being briefed on the incident, stating that body-camera footage will be released during the investigation. “As with every incident in which NYPD officers discharge their weapons, there will be an internal investigation, and body-worn camera footage of the incident will be released,” Mamdani wrote on X.
The events surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.
Article written by Sophia Compton, Writer at Fox News Digital. Contact: [email protected].