A man armed with a knife was fatally shot by New York Police Department officers on the Brooklyn Bridge early Friday morning. The man had claimed to have a bomb and told officers he wished to be killed, according to officials.
Police were called to the scene around 3:30 a.m. on Friday following reports of a man walking on the bridge's beams. Responding officers found the individual on the cables, and attempts were made to coax him down. During the encounter, officers observed the knife and the man stated, "I want to die, I want you to kill me, I have a bomb."
After approximately an hour of negotiation, the man began to descend towards the officers. As he approached, he raised his arm with the knife, prompting one officer to discharge their weapon. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The incident led to the closure of both lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge, which has since reopened to traffic. Police released an image of the knife recovered from the scene.
This event follows a recent fatal stabbing in Times Square on Monday, where a woman killed one person and injured another. The suspect in that incident, Pamela Cisneros Lopez, 49, was stopped by police after a standoff during which she reportedly refused to drop knives and threatened officers. Lopez died from her injuries after being shot by police. The victim, Erin Piacenti, 32, was a vice president at Bank of America who had recently returned to work after maternity leave. The other victim, Tak Kam, 68, was also injured in the attack. Lopez's brother stated she had a history of bipolar disorder and depression.