NYPD officers fatally shoot man armed with butcher knife after he advanced toward cops: police

NYPD officers fatally shot a 54-year-old man Sunday afternoon after police said he advanced toward them with a large butcher knife inside a Lower East Side apartment building.

The shooting happened shortly after 4 p.m. at 126 Ludlow Street, where officers were responding to multiple 911 calls reporting an assault in progress.

When officers entered the building, they found a trail of blood leading up a staircase, NYPD Assistant Chief Melissa Eger said during a Sunday evening news conference.

As officers headed upstairs, they encountered 54-year-old Wei Chan coming down the staircase while armed with what police described as a large butcher knife.

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"As officers issued repeated commands, the male continued to advance towards the officers armed with the large butcher knife." The officers then opened fire, striking Chan.

He was taken to a local hospital , where he was pronounced dead.

"He has no known criminal history with our department.

However, he does have a documented mental health history with the department," Eger said.

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Investigators said Wei Chan had injured his father before police arrived.

He was also taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.

The responding officers were also taken to a hospital for evaluation, police said.

"Their actions are a reminder of how officers run towards danger and not away from it," Eger said.