New York: A hatchet-wielding man attacked a group of patrol officers in a busy commercial district on Thursday, injuring two before the other officers shot and killed him, police said. A bystander was wounded in the gunfire.
At a news conference at a hospital where one officer was being treated for a serious head wound, Police Commissioner William Bratton said that investigators were still trying to confirm the identity of the assailant and determine a motive.
Asked if the attack could be related to terrorism, Bratton didn't rule it out. He cited the fatal shooting of a solider in Canada earlier this week - what officials there have called a terror attack - as reason for concern.
"This early on, we really cannot say yes or no to that question," Bratton said.
The attack occurred in the commercial district in the borough of Queens at about 2 p.m., while four rookie New York Police Department officers on foot patrol were posing for a photo, police said. Without a word, the man charged the officers and began swinging the hatchet, first hitting one in the arm and another in the back of the head, they said.
After the second officer fell to the ground, the two uninjured officers fired several rounds. The bullets killed the assailant and wounded the bystander, police said.
The officer was in critical but stable condition and was expected to undergo surgery. The woman who was struck by a stray bullet also was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the back.
At a news conference at a hospital where one officer was being treated for a serious head wound, Police Commissioner William Bratton said that investigators were still trying to confirm the identity of the assailant and determine a motive.
Asked if the attack could be related to terrorism, Bratton didn't rule it out. He cited the fatal shooting of a solider in Canada earlier this week - what officials there have called a terror attack - as reason for concern.
The attack occurred in the commercial district in the borough of Queens at about 2 p.m., while four rookie New York Police Department officers on foot patrol were posing for a photo, police said. Without a word, the man charged the officers and began swinging the hatchet, first hitting one in the arm and another in the back of the head, they said.
Advertisement
The officer was in critical but stable condition and was expected to undergo surgery. The woman who was struck by a stray bullet also was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the back.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
High-Value Cash Transactions At Hotels, Hospitals Come Under Income Tax Scrutiny UP Police Constable Exam Admit Card 2024 Releasing On August 20, Check Details Fractures, 150 mg Semen, Other Claims Denied By Cops In Kolkata Rape-Murder Life On Earth Originates From One Ancestor, Older Than Previously Believed Kolkata Rape-Murder: Fractures, 150 mg Semen, Other Claims Denied By Cops On Camera, Ticketless Traveller Attacks Ticket Examiner In Mumbai Local 100 Firefighters Tackle Large Blaze At Historic London Art Centre Tahawwur Rana, 26/11 Mumbai Attacks Accused, Can Be Sent To India: US Court Mumbai University Invites Applications For Distance Learning Courses Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.