Police shot and killed Wei Chan, 54, after he lunged at officers with a butcher's knife inside a Manhattan apartment building on Sunday afternoon.
Officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting an assault in progress at the residential property on Ludlow Street, near Rivington Street, at 4.06pm, according to the New York City Police Department.
Upon entering the building, responding officers discovered a trail of blood inside the ground floor lobby that led directly up the staircase. As officers ran up the stairs, Chan came charging down toward them while wielding the large butcher's knife.
Stairwell confrontation and police shooting
Officers repeatedly commanded Chan to show his hands and drop the weapon, but he refused to comply with their orders. When Chan lunged at the officers with the knife still in his hand, an officer deployed a taser in an effort to subdue him, AMNY reported.
The taser failed to stop the suspect, prompting officers to fire at least four gunshots. Chan was hit by the gunfire and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Bystanders and residents in the surrounding area expressed shock as the violent confrontation unfolded on the Lower East Side. Fabio Gutierrez, who was having dinner with his wife Debora Martins at a nearby restaurant, said he initially believed he was watching a neighborhood fight.
Martins described watching first responders perform CPR on Chan as he was loaded onto a stretcher. "I was kind of shocked," Martins said. "I've never seen someone who seemed like they were dying."
Martins also recalled seeing a second man covered in blood being escorted down the street by police officers. "He was not good," Martins said. "He was all bloody." Outside the apartment building, a woman leaving a residence broke down in tears following the shooting.
Father injured in domestic dispute
Following the shooting in the stairwell, officers searched the upstairs apartment and located Chan's 75-year-old father, Chung Chan, suffering from a severe gash to his head.
Authorities said the injury occurred during a domestic violence dispute, though it was not immediately clear whether the head wound was inflicted by the butcher's knife or another object, according to the New York Post. Chung Chan was rushed to a local hospital, where medical staff expected him to survive.
The Fire Department of the City of New York reported that four of its service members were also transported to the hospital with minor injuries sustained during the response. Police noted that while Wei Chan had no prior criminal record, he had a documented history of mental health issues.
Police chief commends officer response
Speaking at a news conference following the incident, Assistant Police Chief Melissa Eger praised the actions of the responding officers. "Officers entered the building, saw a trail of blood and responded without hesitation, not knowing what was waiting for them as they went up the stairs," Eger said. "Their actions are a reminder of how officers run towards danger, not away from it."
The Lower East Side is a historic and densely populated neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, characterized by a mix of residential tenement buildings, retail storefronts, and dining establishments. The New York City Police Department operates precinct stations throughout Manhattan to respond to emergency 911 dispatches involving violent incidents.
The Fire Department of the City of New York provides emergency medical treatment alongside its firefighting duties, deploying paramedics and emergency medical technicians to domestic violence scenes and officer-involved incidents across the city.
City investigation and official reactions
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that he had been briefed on what he described as tragic events, offering his wishes for Chung Chan to make a full and speedy recovery.
Mamdani stated that the city will conduct a formal inquiry into the police response. "As with every incident in which NYPD officers discharge their weapons, there will be an internal investigation and body-worn camera footage of the incident will be released," Mamdani said.
The NYPD asked members of the public and local residents to avoid the immediate area surrounding Ludlow Street and Rivington Street while police detectives continue their investigation. The Daily Mail has reached out to the NYPD for further comment on the shooting.
