Bronx Police Shoot, Kill 'Emotionally Disturbed' Woman

BRONX, NY — An NYPD officer shot and killed an "emotionally disturbed" woman in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx on Tuesday evening.

According to police, a police sergeant responded to a 911 call from the woman's neighbor who said the 66-year-old was "acting in an irrational manner" on the seventh floor of the apartment building at 630 Pugsley Avenue. At about 6:15 p.m., police say the sergeant entered room 7E when the woman brandished a pair of scissors at him. The sergeant convinced the woman to drop the scissors, but she then grabbed a baseball bat and attacked the officer, police said. He fired two shots, striking her twice in the chest.

Paramedics transported the woman to Jacobi Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Police said the sergeant was carrying a Taser, but it was unclear why he chose to use his gun instead. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz reacted to that news, criticizing the NYPD for using excessive force.

"Tonight's shooting of a mentally disturbed, 66-year-old woman in the 43rd Precinct is an outrage, especially given the New York Police Department's knowledge of this woman's history and the police officer's possession of a stun gun," Diaz said late Tuesday. "While I certainly understand the hard work that our police officers undertake to keep the streets of our city safe every single day, I also know what excessive force looks like."

Diaz called on Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark to begin an immediate investigation.

Police said the Force Investigation Division is conducting a full review of the incident.

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