A fatal shooting involving NYPD officers unfolded Sunday afternoon when a 54-year-old man allegedly charged at them with a butcher knife in a Lower East Side apartment building.
Police responded to several 911 calls about an ongoing assault, arriving at 126 Ludlow Street shortly after 4 p.m.
Upon entering, officers discovered a blood trail leading up the stairs, Assistant Chief Melissa Eger explained in a press briefing later that Sunday.
As they ascended, they encountered Wei Chan, aged 54, coming down wielding a substantial butcher knife, according to police reports.
An investigation ensues after police shot a man they claim was armed with a butcher knife at 126 Ludlow Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Officers repeated multiple commands for the male to show his hands in an effort for him to drop the weapon,” Eger said. “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.
When officers entered the building, they spotted a trail of blood leading up a staircase, NYPD Assistant Chief Melissa Eger said during a Sunday evening news conference. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Officers also found Wei Chan’s 75-year-old father, Cheung Chan, suffering from a laceration to the head. 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.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Sunday that he had been briefed on the incident and confirmed that body-camera footage would be released as part of the investigation. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Sunday that he had been briefed on the shooting and that the incident would undergo an internal investigation.
“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,” Mamdani wrote on X.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.