A man who police say tried to force his way into a Brooklyn police station and slashed a female officer was shot and killed by New York Police Department officers after refusing to drop a knife and lunging at them, law enforcement sources said Sunday.
The incident unfolded shortly before 5:30 a.m. at the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville, according to officials. Police said the suspect attempted to enter the precinct through a back door and, when confronted by a female officer, tried to slash her throat. The officer was cut in the face and ear and later treated at a hospital.
Authorities chased the suspect about two blocks from the station to an area outside a housing project, where officers say he refused orders to drop a 14-inch butcher knife and lunged at them. Officers fired, and the man was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, law enforcement sources told The Post. The NYPD has not issued an official identification, but sources named the man as 36-year-old Justin Coleman and said he had a prior arrest in April 2024 on MacDougal Street that included an assault charge.
The injured officer, identified by police union officials as the daughter of two NYPD detectives, one retired and one currently on the force, was hospitalized. Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said the officer was "traumatic" to see in the hospital and praised her decision to pursue the suspect despite her injuries, saying she "could've been killed." Hendry said the episode illustrated the dangers officers face and called for stronger consequences for people who attack police.
NYPD Chief of Patrol Philip P. Rivera addressed reporters at the precinct Sunday. Police did not immediately release the names of the officers involved in the shooting pending notification of next of kin and the completion of initial investigative steps. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office had not responded to a request for comment.
The shooting will be reviewed under the department's policies on use of force and by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, which typically evaluates police shootings to determine whether criminal charges are warranted. Investigations also commonly involve the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau and the Civilian Complaint Review Board when force is used.
Law enforcement sources described a tense, fast-moving encounter that began at the precinct and ended two blocks away after officers pursued the suspect. Officials said the weapon recovered at the scene was a large butcher-style knife, and that the wounded officer sustained lacerations to her head and left ear.
The shooting echoes other recent incidents in New York City that have prompted debate over officer safety, public access to precincts and the city’s approach to policing and criminal justice. Police union leaders have repeatedly urged elected officials and prosecutors to pursue harsher penalties for those who attack officers. City officials have not issued public comments about Sunday’s shooting beyond law enforcement briefings.
As is standard, the NYPD will provide details to the Brooklyn DA as investigators compile reports, evidence and body-worn camera footage. The DA’s office will then review the matter and decide whether charges beyond any internal administrative actions are warranted. Police spokespersons and city officials did not make further comment Sunday; the NYPD and Brooklyn DA’s office did not immediately return requests for additional information.