Knife-Wielding Man Killed in Brighton Police Encounter
Boston officers responded to a call about a man threatening self-harm before the encounter turned violent.
By Kevin Iyer ·
A man holding a knife died Friday morning after police fired at him on Selkirk Road in Brighton, Boston. Police Commissioner Michael Cox said officers arrived at the address around 7:00 a.m. following a report that a man with a knife was threatening to harm himself. Officers were told before arriving that he might be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Once on scene, officers spoke with the man for about 20 minutes in an effort to de-escalate the situation, Cox said. The man then moved against the officers and threatened to injure them. While chasing one officer, he was shot in the abdomen by police, who were acting to stop the threat.
The man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Police later confirmed he had died. Two officers involved in the incident were also transported to a hospital for evaluation.
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said his office would lead the investigation into the shooting, which is standard procedure whenever an officer fires a weapon. These situations are always changing, Hayden said, and never easy. Photographs from the scene showed yellow police tape across a home entrance as officers worked the investigation.
