Police officers shot and killed a machete-wielding man in Brownsville after he allegedly mangled a woman and her dog on Tuesday night.
At around 6:10 pm on Dec. 29, officers responded to reports made of a man attacking people with a machete and attempting to enter a nearby residence, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol Juanita Holmes.
Units arrived at Strauss Street and Dumont Avenue to discover a woman and her dog being hacked away at by the suspect, Holmes said. Both the woman and her dog suffered serious laceration, including deep cuts to the owner’s head and hands.
Ralph Marrero, an eyewitness to the incident, told Brooklyn Paper’s sister publication amNewYork Metro that he dialed 911 after seeing a “crazed man” attacking motorists by Betsy Head Park.
“He blocked the road, when they slowed down to see what’s going on, he started attacking them through the driver’s side window,” Marrero said.
After witnessing what he called extremely erratic behavior, Marrero dialed 911. During this time, he said the suspect spotted a woman walking her dog and attacked. According to Marrero, the suspect began wildly slashing at the victim and her pet between two parked cars.
Marrero said he could only watch in fear alongside his 11-year-old son, but as soon as police arrived, he alerted them to the slasher’s whereabouts.
“When the police came, he started approaching the police swinging the machete. I yelled ‘shoot him,’” Marrero exclaimed.
The assailant refused to comply with commands to drop the weapon and was downed with a single bullet to the chest before officers began resuscitation attempts, according to Holmes. The suspect was taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The victim was rushed to Kings County Hospital while her pet was taken to a local veterinary clinic. The victim and her pet are in stable condition, according to police officials. The responding NYPD officers were also taken to Kings County Hospital for observation.
Remaining officers from the 73rd Precinct cordoned off the scene and redirected traffic away from Dumont Avenue and Strauss Street while Emergency Services scoured the area in search of further evidence.
Dramatic video obtained by amNewYork Metro shows the scene after the police shooting, including the blood-covered woman.
“She was covered in blood, holding her arm, but she was comforting her dog,” Marrero said with a trembling voice.
This is the second police-involved shooting in two days in Brooklyn. On Monday night, a cop shot an unarmed man in the leg who allegedly rushed officers and appeared to be armed during a gun arrest near the border of East Flatbush and Prospect Lefferts Gardens.
And on Christmas Eve night, a member of the 77th Precinct was shot in the back by a suspect in a domestic violence incident in Weeksville. The perpetrator was arrested without further incident, and the officer managed to survive his injuries thanks to his bulletproof vest.
Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell
This story first appeared on AMNY.com.
