A man with a machete who attacked three people randomly at a major New York City subway station on Saturday morning was shot and killed by police, authorities said.
Officers responding to a 9:40 a.m. emergency call of an assault at the 42nd Street-Grand Central station encountered the man. He was behaving erratically, claiming he was "Lucifer," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an afternoon news conference. Tisch said he was ordered to drop his weapon 20 times but refused to comply.
She said ultimately an officer shot him twice when he advanced toward the officers with the knife extended.
"Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat," Tisch said. "They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate. And when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city."
Tisch identified the suspect as Anthony Griffin, 44, and said he had three prior unsealed arrests. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.
The three stabbing victims — an 84 year-old male, 65-year-old male and 70-year-old female — sustained injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, Tisch said. One man sustained "significant lacerations to the head and face," the other man had similar injuries and an open skull fracture and the third victim had a laceration to the shoulder.
Tisch said the suspect slashed one person on a platform at the Grand Central station before going upstairs and slashing the other victims on another platform.
Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said the attacks appear to be random acts.
"I’m grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence," said NYC Mayor Zorhan Mamdani.
"The three victims were taken to the hospital and are thankfully in stable condition.
"The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation and will release body-worn camera footage, as it does in all incidents involving the discharge of an officer's firearm," Mamdani added.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on social media that she was "grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect. We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds."
The police department, posting on X, had urged travelers to avoid the area Saturday morning due to a police investigation and to expect delays and heavy traffic. The Metropolitan Transit Authority said some subway trains were not stopping at the station which is separate from regional train service at Grand Central.
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