The following update was posted by Michael Woyton.
11:10 a.m., May 27, 2013: The City of New Rochelle issued the following press release regarding the shooting Sunday of a New Rochelle man by the police.
From the City of New Rochelle:
At 1:30PM, May 26 a New Rochelle Police Critical Incident Unit team responded to 18 Hickory Street Apt 3H to investigate the report of an emotionally disturbed person at that location.
A relative reported that the subject, Samuel Cruz, was off his medication, acting irrationally, and refusing to answer the door to the relative, who had come to check on his welfare. Responding officers were able to establish oral communication with Mr. Cruz through his locked apartment door, but were unable to get him to open the door.
After a lengthy dialogue with Mr. Cruz and repeated attempts to get him to open the door, officers ultimately concluded that Mr. Cruz was behaving irrationally, in distress, and a potential danger to himself and others in the building. Officers forced open the door, and observed Mr. Cruz armed with a hooked bladed knife.
As officers entered the apartment, Mr. Cruz threatened them with the knife. Officers deployed tasers at Mr. Cruz twice but neither deployment was successful in immobilizing him. Mr. Cruz then came at the officers with the knife and one of the officers discharged his firearm at Mr. Cruz striking him once in the chest.
Mr. Cruz was conveyed to Sound Shore Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
The matter is under investigation. The entire team was sent for counseling after the event. The officer who discharged his firearm has been placed on modified duty.
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New Rochelle police shot and killed a man after who had a knife, according to New Rochelle City Manager Charles Strome.
Strome, who confirmed several media reports about a death, said that he learned of the matter Sunday afternoon. He said that there was a call from a family member about a emotionally disturbed person, with the location on Hickory Street.
Police, Strome said, tried to talk with the man, which was not successful, followed by use of a taser on him, which also failed. Strome said that the man had a knife and went towards police when he was shot. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, which is in the Bronx, and died.
Later in the evening, police identified the man as 48-year-old Samuel Cruz in a statement, according to Newsday.
Attempts to get comment from police were unsuccessful.
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