Police Involved Shooting in Maspeth, Queens, 104 Precinct

September 17, 2018

Remarks as delivered by Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea:

The information I am going to provide is preliminary at this point and the investigation continues, so the facts may change as we go forward as we learn more information. Earlier today at 5:26 p.m., uniformed members responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at 52-14 69th Street. It is a two family residential home, specifically it is the upstairs apartment of a two family residential home.

At approximately 5:32 p.m., two simultaneous marked radio patrol cars arrived and met a 54-year-old female in front of the location who identified herself as the 911 caller. She directed the officers to the second floor upstairs apartment at that address. She also told the officers that she believed there was a female intruder in the home armed with a knife or a razor. The police officers entered the home to conduct a search for the intruder. As the officers were searching the home the 54-year-old female that had met them in front and said that she called 911, entered the home behind the officers. At some point during the time in the apartment, which was a total of 50 seconds from the time the officers entered the front of the apartment, two shots were fired. The 54-year-old woman came at the officers with a knife and lunged at them. One of the officers gave direction to put the knife down. We know this because there was body camera video. Subsequently one officer discharges his service weapon three times striking the female in the torso.

Immediately after firing, shots aid is rendered. EMS is called to the scene. Unfortunately the 54-year-old female was pronounced deceased at the scene. An approximately 10 inch kitchen knife was recovered and has been secured and it is an ongoing crime scene as we speak. It appears at this time, preliminarily, the 911 caller and the female was again one in the same. Her motivation is unknown at the time. After entering the apartment to investigate, however, she did attack the officers with a knife and I will point out that there is a history of calls to this location.