The New York Police Department has released body-worn camera footage showing officers fatally shooting a man armed with a machete who had stabbed three individuals at a Grand Central subway station last month. The video, posted on the department's YouTube page, captures the confrontation with 44-year-old Anthony Griffin after he randomly slashed three victims at the 42nd Street-Grand Central subway station.
Encounter on the Stairs
The footage shows detectives Ryan Giuffre and Anthony Manetta encountering Griffin as he walks up a stairwell holding a large knife at around 9:40 a.m. on April 11. The officers order Griffin to drop the weapon multiple times, but Giuffre draws his gun as Griffin continues to hold the knife high near his head. Griffin then retreats down the stairs, but starts moving toward the officers with the knife still raised when they begin to pursue him.
"Nobody wants to hurt you," Giuffre says in the video. "We can talk about it. Get down. Get down. Dude, I'm not going to ask you again. Please. Please. Please. Get down!" However, Griffin continues shouting and moving erratically toward the officers with the large blade raised.
Suspect's Demands
"I don't want to be here. Shoot me," he says at one point. "I am Lucifer," he yells a few moments later. Giuffre then fires two shots at Griffin, who immediately drops to the ground. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated at the time of the incident that the officers ordered Griffin to drop the knife at least 20 times, but he refused to comply. "Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat," she 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."
Victims' Injuries
The three stabbing victims include an 84-year-old male, a 65-year-old male, and a 70-year-old female. They sustained injuries such as "significant lacerations to the head and face" and a skull fracture, though the wounds were not considered life-threatening, according to Tisch.
