Police shot and killed a man who they said fired a gun in a parking lot on Staten Island early Thursday, then pointed it at officers, according to the NYPD.
Assistant Chief Melissa Eger said officers responded to a 911 call around 5:20 a.m. about a man sitting in a black Jeep Wrangler with a gun.
When police arrived at the the parking lot of a Home Depot on Veterans Road West in Tottenville, they heard multiple shots and saw a 55-year-old man with a gun, Eger said at a press conference at the scene Thursday morning.
“The officers tactically positioned themselves around their police vehicles and immediately verbally engaged with the male,” she said. “Multiple officers repeatedly instructed him to show his hands and drop his firearm, which is all confirmed on body-worn camera footage.”
She said the man did not comply and instead pointed his gun at the officers. At that point, five of the officers fired several shots at the man, who was struck numerous times, Eger said.
Emergency medical workers took him to Staten Island University North Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the assistant chief. The officers involved in the shooting were also taken to a local hospital for evaluation, Eger said.
Police said they recovered a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver at the scene, along with numerous shell casings and live ammunition.
Officials did not immediately identify the man, who is the second person NYPD officers have shot and killed so far this year, according to reports from police. They said they were still investigating why he was at the Home Depot parking lot and who called 911.
Last month, police shot and killed a 79-year-old man who they said pointed a gun at an officer and refused to drop it outside a precinct building in Queens. Earlier that day, officers shot and injured a 35-year-old man after police said he barricaded himself in a Lower East Side apartment and fired at them, striking a detective.
At least 12 people were killed in police shootings across the city in 2024, according to data compiled by Gothamist.
This story has been updated with additional details and is based on preliminary information from police.