Neighbors: Man Killed By Police After Not Dropping Gun Was Hard Of Hearing
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The 86-year-old Queens man shot dead by police Saturday after not dropping his weapon was hard of hearing, neighbors said.
As CBS 2's Janelle Burrell reported, a uniformed NYPD officer fatally shot Jack Calvello after he killed his daughter and refused to drop his 12-gauge shotgun, police said.
Police said they were called to the home on 38th Street in Astoria, Queens, around 11:15 a.m. for a family dispute. As 1010 WINS' Gary Baumgarten reported, the man called police and said he shot his daughter and his dog.
Officers found Calvello armed with a gun when they arrived, authorities said. They said he refused an order to drop his weapon.
Calvello then pointed his gun at the officers, and one of the officers shot him in the torso, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A 65-year-old woman, identified by police as Carol Ann Matyka, was found inside the kitchen of the home with a gunshot wound to her head. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center and died several hours later, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported.
Neighbors said the Yorkshire terrier, named Jack, suffered a graze wound to the neck and is expected to survive, CBS 2's Dave Carlin reported.
Several teens were playing basketball outside and watched as officers opened fire on the weapon-toting senior.
"They were coming up the stairs with the guns and they told him 'get out,' and he comes out with a gun," witness Eric Soto told Carlin. "They told him 'drop it,' and he doesn't and he shot him."
Police were still working Sunday morning to determine Calvello's motive might have been.
Neighbors told Baumgarten Calvello must have snapped. They said no one who knew him would expect that something like this would happen.
"He must've lost his mind," one neighbor said.
Neighbor Paulo told Smith he couldn't believe the news.
"This is a very peaceful neighborhood," he said. "I have been living here for twenty years."
A loaded 12-gauge shotgun was recovered by officials at the scene.
The officers involved in the shooting were taken to New York Hospital of Queens for trauma and were listed in stable condition, police said.
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