Queens cops repeatedly told 65-year-old man to drop knife before fatally shooting him in back, body-cam video shows

A 65-year-old antheral killed by NYPD officers successful Queens shrugged disconnected a blast from a taser and turned toward a radical of people earlier helium was fatally changeable successful the back, body-worn camera footage released by the authorities lawyer general’s bureau Friday shows.

“Yo! Drop the f—ing knife!” 1 serviceman screamed astatine Jesus Alberto Nunez Reyes as helium threatened a pistillate portion holding a tiny knife with a yellowish grip astatine his broadside during the April 20 clash connected Roosevelt Ave. adjacent 103rd St. successful Corona.

The 2 officers were patrolling Roosevelt Ave. astir 4:20 a.m. erstwhile the heated statement betwixt Reyes and a 49-year-old pistillate caught their attention.

Body camera footage shows the cops being directed to Reyes, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, arsenic helium argued with the pistillate successful Spanish adjacent a KFC. Several radical were lasting adjacent arsenic the 2 argued.

The officers, their weapons drawn, told Reyes to driblet his weapon much than 10 times, but helium wouldn’t comply, the footage shows. Instead, helium concisely glared astatine the officers earlier turning to the woman, though ne'er raising the knife.

The pistillate pushed Reyes distant astatine slightest doubly during their argument, which went connected for astir 10 minutes earlier constabulary arrived, witnesses told the Daily News.

“They were screaming a lot,” 1 witness, who lone wanted to beryllium identified arsenic Marco, said. “I heard the woman asking for help.”

One of the cops fired a taser astatine Reyes, but helium turned to his broadside conscionable arsenic the prongs deployed.

After much repeated commands, Reyes turned and walked distant from the pistillate and the officers toward 3 radical lasting nearby.

One of the officers fired his weapon 3 times, hitting Reyes successful the backmost arsenic the radical helium was walking toward scrambled retired of the way. The past changeable was fired aft Reyes had already fallen onto the ground.

“I heard the constabulary say, ‘Stop! Stop!’ And past I heard the gunshots,” Marco said. “[It was] fast. Fast,” helium said. “Boom! Boom! Boom!”

EMS rushed Reyes to Elmhurst Hospital, wherever helium died. The pistillate was not injured and was questioned by detectives, cops said.

Hours later, the country was inactive littered with wads of blood-soaked toilet paper, a discarded shot headdress and Reyes’ jeans, which were chopped disconnected to get astatine 1 of the gunshot wounds.

Following the shooting, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said the 2 officers utilized a fig of antithetic methods to effort to subdue Reyes earlier resorting to lethal force.

“The officers usage the taser. The taser doesn’t work,” the main said. “Then the officers usage their weapons and halt the male.”

The 2 officers were not disciplined by the NYPD. The lawyer general’s bureau released the assemblage camera footage arsenic it continues its probe into the matter.

The April 20 incidental occurred conscionable a fewer weeks aft the shooting of Police Officer Jonathan Diller, cops said.

The Queens officer was changeable and killed successful Rockaway, Queens, by an ex-con, who was besides wounded successful the ensuing firefight.

Diller had asked Guy Rivera to measurement retired of a parked car connected Mott Ave. adjacent Smith Place connected March 25 erstwhile Rivera allegedly opened occurrence connected the cop, fatally shooting him successful the abdomen, according to police.

Two days later, police shot and killed 19-year-old Win Rozario, who called 911 connected himself arsenic helium spiraled retired of power during a “mental crisis,” the NYPD said.

Rozario charged astatine the officers with a brace of scissors erstwhile helium was shot, according to authorities.

Originally Published: November 15, 2024 astatine 1:51 PM EST