NYPD officers shot and killed a 54-year-old man on Sunday afternoon after he advanced toward them wielding a large butcher knife inside an apartment building in the Lower East Side. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. at 126 Ludlow Street, where police responded to several 911 calls reporting an ongoing assault.

Upon entering the building, officers noticed a blood trail leading up a staircase, according to NYPD Assistant Chief Melissa Eger during a news conference. As officers ascended the stairs, they encountered Wei Chan, who was armed with the knife.

Eger stated, “Officers repeated multiple commands for the male to show his hands in an effort for him to drop the weapon.” Despite these commands, Chan continued to advance toward the officers. In response, the officers fired their weapons, hitting Chan. He was transported to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Chan had no known criminal record but had a documented mental health history with the department, Eger noted.

The officers also found Chan’s 75-year-old father, Cheung Chan, with a head injury inflicted by his son. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover. The officers involved were also evaluated at a hospital as a precaution.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that he had been briefed on the incident, confirming that body-camera footage will be released as part of an internal investigation. Mamdani wrote, “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.”

The investigation into the circumstances of the shooting is ongoing.