Two Women Shot by NYC Cops Trying to Subdue Man ‘Causing a Disturbance’
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Police officers shooting at what appeared to be an emotionally disturbed man in New York City’s Times Square accidentally struck two innocent bystanders instead, police said Sunday.
A cell phone video shot at the scene shows officers chasing the 35-year-old suspect Saturday night in the midst of one of New York City’s busiest intersections, weaving in and out of traffic in what police said looked like an attempt to get hit by a car.
“One officer saw him out in the middle of the street, he obviously was causing a disturbance,” NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a news conference. “Cars were trying to avoid him… It appeared that he wanted to be struck by the cars.”
When officers approached the suspect, he appeared to reach into his pocket to draw a gun. Two officers then fired a total of three shots, ABC station WABC-TV in New York reported. While they missed the man, they accidentally hit two women instead.
One woman, 35, was grazed by a bullet, while the other woman, 54, was shot in the knee. Both were taken to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The 35-year-old woman was treated and released, according to WABC-TV. But the 54-year-old woman, who needs a walker to get around, remains in stable condition at the hospital.
Ultimately, officers were able to subdue the man with a Taser, WABC-TV reported. He was taken into custody at Bellevue Hospital, where he was being held for observation.
The officers involved in the incident have been on the force for one year and three years, respectively, WABC-TV reported. The names of the women injured as well as the man in custody have not been released. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
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