Armed Suspect Shot, Killed By Police In The Bronx
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Officers responding to a call of domestic violence have shot and killed an armed suspect in the Bronx, police said.
The NYPD responded to a call at the Twin Parks South West Apartments on Valentine Avenue around 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Police said witnesses saw a 19-year-old woman being held at gunpoint by a man in an elevator, CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported.
Armed Suspect Shot, Killed By Police In The Bronx
A tenant recognized the woman and called police.
Police responded to the woman's fourth-floor apartment, where they found the door partially opened and a man pacing inside, Sanchez reported.
Police said the officers identified themselves and demanded the man come to the door, but instead the suspect grabbed the woman, pulled her into a bedroom and closed the door.
The woman screamed, "Help me! Help me! He's going to kill me," NYPD Chief of Department James O'Neill said.
"The officers open the door to the bedroom and observe the male holding a female with a gun to her head," O'Neill said. "He then pointed the gun at the officers, the female was able to pull away from the male at this time; the male was still pointing the gun at the officers, and a sergeant and one officer fired multiple rounds at the male."
A police source told CBS2 the officers fired 25 shots. It remains unclear how many times the suspect was hit.
The 19-year-old suspect was dead on arrival at St. Barnabas Hospital. He had five prior arrests and was on parole for robbery, 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported.
The female victim was pistol-whipped by the suspect and had a graze wound on her shoulder, police said. It is unclear if the woman was grazed by a bullet shot by the suspect or police.
The officers involved in the shooting were not hurt, but were taken to the hospital and treated for tinnitus.
The incident came as a rude wake up call for witnesses.
"I was scared. I was scared. Stuff like this shouldn't happen. It shouldn't. It's sad," Torrie Evans said.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said the woman wouldn't be alive if not for the quick action of the police officers.
"The suspect, we believe, attempted to shoot her on three occasions. Fortunately, the gun misfired on all three instances, but for the officers' actions that young woman might not be with us here today," Commissioner Bratton said.
The suspect's weapon -- a .38 caliber revolver -- was recovered, police said.
The medical examiner will determine how many of the 25 shots actually struck the suspect.
Police said the suspect has been in trouble with the law before with arrests for gang assault and drugs. He was on parole after doing time for robbery.
Investigators were not sure, Wednesday, if the victim's graze wound came from a shot fired by her ex-boyfriend or police.
On Tuesday night, an officer shot and wounded a man in East Harlem after the suspect allegedly shot another man.
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