Full News Conference: Brooklyn Bridge police-involved shooting

Good morning, everyone. I am Jerry Dallin, commanding officer of the Emergency Service Unit. I'm joined by Deputy Chief Rohan Griffith, commanding officer of the Force Investigation Division. I'm here to brief you on an incident that occurred earlier this morning on the Brooklyn Bridge. The information I am about to provide is preliminary and subject to change. At approximately 3 28 a.m. A 91 call came over for a male walking on the beams of the Brooklyn Bridge. Officers from the 84 Precinct and Emergency Service Unit responded to the scene. Once they arrived at the location, they saw a man walking on the bridge cables. Members of the issue climbed onto those cables and attempt to establish a verbal dialogue with the mail and safely remove him from the bridge. Briefly, some background information about bridge rescues. When members of the issue are conducting high angle rescue as they were in this incident, they were safely safety gear, including a harness, which is physically clipped into the bridge to ensure their safety. Being secured to the bridge drastically impacts the speed of their movement. The officers on the bridge engaged in verbal dialogue with the mail for almost hour, explaining they were there to help and try and convince him to come safely down from the bridge. They observed that the mail was holding a knife, and he stated to them, I want to die. I want you to kill me. I have a bomb. You're not going to make me do something bad to the cops. For this prolonged period, office continued to try to convince the mail to safely get off the bridge while also issuing multiple verbal commands for him to drop the knife. After about an hour, hundreds of feet above the East River, the mail began to quickly descend the cable of the bridge towards the officers. Those officers were in one line, each still clipped to the bridge position below the mail on the same cable. The officers began to move backwards away from the mail, but they were not able to move as quickly as the subject who was approaching them. When the mail got within approximately three ft from the closest member of the issue, he raises on with the knife extended outward towards the officer. At that point, a member of issue who was on the roadbed of the bridge discharged his weapon one time striking the mail. The officers then brought the mail down from the cable and began rendering aid. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital and where he was pronounced deceased. A knife was recovered at the scene, and the entire incident was captured on body worn camera footage. This incident is being investigated by the force investigation division. Members of the issue are specially trained for these types of high risk and incredibly dangerous situations. They received extensive instruction on de escalation and how engaged with individuals compassionately. I will take some questions. That's part of the ongoing investigation. A knife was recovered from the scene, obviously, and a flashlight. It's part of the ongoing investigation right now. However, there was a flashlight found that was dropped by the individual. All right, folks. Thank you very much. Thank you for your time. Thank you. It's gonna be good. I know.