Police shoot man with knife at NY newspaper office
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AP) - October 9, 2011
Elvis Norwood, 21, was shot by an officer after police say
Norwood refused to put a knife down and lunged at the officer.
Norwood was in stable condition at a hospital Saturday evening.
The shooting happened around 4 p.m. at the offices of the Daily
Gazette after a quiet news day in Schenectady, a city of more than
60,000 just outside the state capital of Albany.
The newspaper reported that the man appeared weak and possibly
medicated when he arrived. He talked his way into the locked
building by asking a security guard for a drink of water. Then, he
refused to leave and began wandering the halls, the paper reported.
Norwood eventually said he needed help. Daniel Beck, the
newspaper's general manager, called 911 when he saw that Norwood
was carrying a knife and bleeding from his hand.
The police officers who arrived at the office requested a backup
officer with a stun gun, Schenectady police Sgt. Matthew Dearing
told The Associated Press. Norwood charged at Officer Brett Ferris
when the other officer turned to let the backup inside the locked
lobby, Dearing said.
Ferris, who has been on the force for four years, fired four
shots, striking Norwood at least three times, once in the arm,
chest and lower abdomen, Dearing said.
"For five minutes they asked him to put the knife down," said
Linda Eldeen, Beck's girlfriend, who was at the office. "He did
start going at them. He looked like he was going to charge them."
Norwood was hospitalized in stable condition, Dearing said,
adding that it was too early to determine charges. A 9-inch-long
kitchen knife was recovered, he said.
"At this point, we're forced to believe that this was an
attempt of suicide by the police," Public Safety Commissioner
Wayne Bennett told the newspaper.
Norwood had been picked up fewer than 10 days ago for mental
health issues and taken to a hospital, Dearing told the AP.
The two initial officers were placed on administrative leave,
per department policy, until they are cleared to return to duty,
Dearing said.