An officer shot and killed a man police said was wielding a steak knife in Brooklyn Monday afternoon.
Credit: DCPI
An officer shot and killed a man police said was wielding a steak knife in Brooklyn Monday afternoon.
Rexford Dasrath, 22, was shot by an officer in the left hand and torso after police said he lunged at the cop while holding the knife.
Police said two uniformed officers initially responded to a 3 p.m. call about a landlord-tenant dispute: Dasrath’s landlord at his home on Hart Street in Bushwick said Dasrath was threatening to kill him.
When the cops arrived at the scene in a marked patrol car, police said Dasrath banged the 7-inch knife against the window. The police drove down the block, stopping at the corner, where a livery cab pulled up alongside them. The cab driver told police Dasrath was acting irrationally, police said.
Police said Dasrath then hurled a glass in their direction, hitting the taxi, which then took off. The cops parked around the corner for safety, police said.
Police said the officers returned to the scene where they once again encountered Dasrath, still holding the knife. They strategically positioned themselves with one officer in the street and the other on the sidewalk using parked cars as protection. The officer on the sidewalk yelled repeatedly to Dasrath, urging him to drop the knife.
The officer on the sidewalk neared Dasrath, and when they were around five to seven feet apart, Dasrath lunged at the officer with a knife, police said.
The officer fired five shots, police said, hitting Dasrath in the torso and left hand.
Police said Dasrath died in the ambulance on the way to Woodhull Hospital.
The officers were taken to Wyckoff Hospital to be checked out, but both appeared to be fine, police said.
Police said the investigation is ongoing. Dasrath appears to have had a history of emotional instability, police said.
Both officers joined the force about two years ago, in January 2012. The officer who shot and killed Dasrath is 28 years old, and his partner is 27. His partner fired no shots, police said.
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