New York City police shot and killed a knife-wielding suspect in Brooklyn on Friday, saying the man was suspected of three murders.
Officers with the Brooklyn Warrant Squad were attempting to arrest Vilmond Jean-Baptiste, 38, on Friday evening when he allegedly charged them with a knife, police say. Police say they found Baptiste hiding fully-clothed in a bathtub as they searched a Brooklyn apartment.
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey says officers ordered Baptiste to get out of the bathtub and noticed that he was holding a knife. Police ordered him to drop the weapon, but he instead advanced on the officers, police say.
One officer attempted to stop Baptiste with a stun gun, but police said it was ineffective. Maddrey says at least three of the officers then opened fire on Baptiste. Medics rushed him to the hospital, where he died of his injuries.
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New York City police shot and killed Vilmond Jean-Baptiste while serving a warrant for his arrest on Friday night. (Peter Gerber)
A crowd soon gathered around the scene as police wheeled Baptiste into an ambulance. One man could be heard shouting, “He shot my brother. He killed my brother for nothing,” according to the New York Daily News.
Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows crowds shouting and throwing objects at police.
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Baptiste was wanted in relation to three murders. One case involved a 54-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man whose bodies were found in the city in July. Both victims were stabbed to death.
Another case involved Claudette Jones, 66, who was found stabbed to death inside her apartment in late August.
A crowd gathered around the scene after police shot and killed Baptiste. (Peter Gerber) (Fox News)
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told the Daily Mail that Baptiste was romantically involved with both female victims.
Johnny Jean-Baptiste, 44, the suspect’s older brother, said the pair’s mother was in the home when police shot and killed him, according to the Daily News.
A bystander shouts at police at the scene of the shooting. (Peter Gerber)
“My brother didn’t have a gun,” the elder brother said. “They could have dealt with him differently. I want to see the body camera to see what really happened.”
When asked about the murder cases Baptiste was suspected in, his brother reportedly replied, “Nobody’s perfect.”
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
