Knife-wielding man storms NYC precinct, slashes female officer before cops gun him down

A female New York City police officer was slashed in the face early Sunday morning by a man armed with a 14-inch butcher knife who entered a police precinct through the back door.

The incident happened around 5:28 am at the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville. Police said the suspect first entered the front entrance of the building but left after speaking with an officer. Minutes later, he tried to get in through an employee entrance at the back.

According to a report by the New York Post, NYPD Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera explained that an officer stopped the man and told him to use the front door. The suspect then pulled out the knife and slashed her across the face. The officer, who has not been publicly identified, fought him off until another officer deployed a Taser. The attacker fled through the back exit with multiple officers in pursuit.

The suspect brandished the knife again and charged at officers, who opened fire. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

"Several officers discharged their firearms and the male was struck numerous times," Rivera said.

Rivera said the injured officer’s head wound was minor and that she was “in good spirits.”

“This situation could have turned out very differently,” Rivera explained. “This is the risk that every NYPD officer faces every single day.”

Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry referred to the incident in a statement as "a clear targeted attack on New York City police officers."