Police in New York City fatally shot a man carrying a knife who was walking along the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge after he refused repeated instructions to put down the weapon, authorities said Friday. The man was shot after moving to within a few feet of an officer who was attempting to assist him down from the bridge.
The incident temporarily shut the Brooklyn Bridge and caused significant traffic problems during the morning. It occurred only four days after another deadly attack in Times Square, where a woman randomly stabbed two people, killing one, before being shot and killed by police.
Gerard Dowling, commander of the New York Police Department's Emergency Services Unit, said the man told the police rescue team that he wanted officers to kill him and claimed that he had a bomb.
According to Dowling, officers secured themselves to the bridge with safety harnesses and spent roughly an hour talking with the man. They repeatedly told him that they wanted to help him and safely bring him down, while also ordering him several times to drop the knife.
The situation escalated when the man suddenly began moving rapidly down one of the bridge cables. Several officers were positioned farther down the same cable, Dowling said.
The officers attempted to back away from him, but the man was moving faster than they could retreat. When he reached approximately 3 feet (0.9 meters) from one officer, he lifted the arm holding the knife and pointed it toward the officer.
At that moment, another officer positioned on the bridge roadway fired one shot, striking the man. Officers then brought him down and immediately provided medical assistance. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Police body cameras captured the entire encounter, according to Dowling.
He said members of the Emergency Services Unit are specially trained to handle extremely dangerous situations and receive extensive preparation in de-escalation techniques and compassionate communication with people in crisis.
Authorities did not release the man's identity. Police said they also recovered a flashlight in addition to the knife.
When asked whether a bomb had actually been discovered, Dowling said the matter remained under investigation.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on social media that officers initially responded to a 911 report about a man who appeared to be preparing to jump from the bridge.
Mamdani said officers attempted to calm the situation and repeatedly encouraged the man not to jump. He added that the man was armed with a knife and threatened officers before moving closer to them, prompting one officer to fire and hit him.
The NYPD previously shared a video highlighting the Emergency Services Unit's successful rescue of a distressed woman who had climbed onto the bridge. The unit is trained in specialized operations, including high-angle rescues, scuba diving and emergency psychological intervention.
Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is a suspension bridge supported by large cables that links Manhattan and Brooklyn. Its towers rise about 276.5 feet (84 meters) above the water, although authorities did not specify how far above the water the man and officers were during the incident.
The Brooklyn Bridge incident followed Monday's stabbing attack in Times Square, which occurred close to an NYPD substation outside One Times Square, the landmark associated with New York City's annual New Year's Eve celebration. The area is among the city's most heavily visited and closely policed locations.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a 49-year-old woman from Queens, identified as Pamela Cisneros, took two knives from a shopping bag and stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen. The man had recently exited a subway station and was waiting with his wife to cross the street.
Moments later, Cisneros stabbed a 32-year-old woman in the abdomen as well. That victim later died.
Officers spent several minutes ordering Cisneros to put down the knives before using a Taser, Tisch said. According to the commissioner, Cisneros told officers, “I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you.”
Video footage showed the Taser failed to stop her. She continued advancing toward the officers while holding and waving the knives.
Police said two officers then fired their weapons, killing Cisneros.