Police opened fire on a woman charging them with a knife inside a Jamaica, Queens, residence on Friday night, following a chaotic stabbing incident that left four people wounded. The clash occurred around 9:38 pm on 149th Street, where officers responded to reports of violence. Upon entry, they found the woman struggling with two men on the third floor. She refused commands to drop the weapon and moved toward officers, prompting a shot that left her injured.
Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera detailed the scene: a wounded man had initially warned officers through a second-floor window that his uncle had stabbed him. After the woman threw keys from a third-floor window allowing entry, officers discovered the struggle. Rivera stated the woman pointed at another man with her left hand while holding a knife in her right, advancing on the police. One officer fired, hitting her, before another deployed a Taser as she fell.
The incident left the woman and three men hospitalized. The woman was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition after officers performed lifesaving measures on scene. The three men were transported to Jamaica Hospital and North Shore University Hospital. Police recovered two serrated kitchen knives from the location.
The event has paralyzed the neighborhood, with officers cordoning off the street for an ongoing investigation. Rosie, a 60-year-old neighbor, returned from visiting her husband in a Long Island hospital only to find her block inaccessible. She described the scene as overwhelming, noting she had never witnessed such violence in three decades of living in the area.