(ProsperNews.net) – New York City police shot and killed Vilmond Jean-Baptiste, a 38-year-old man suspected of three murders, in Brooklyn on Friday evening. Officers with the Brooklyn Warrant Squad were attempting to arrest Baptiste when he allegedly charged at them with a knife. Police say they found him hiding fully clothed in a bathtub inside a Brooklyn apartment, holding the weapon.
According to NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, officers repeatedly ordered Baptiste to drop the knife, but he refused and instead advanced toward them. An officer initially tried to subdue him with a stun gun, but it was ineffective. At least three officers then opened fire, and Baptiste was struck by multiple rounds. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The fatal shooting occurred while police were serving a warrant for Baptiste, who was wanted in connection with three recent murder cases. The first involved the stabbing deaths of a 54-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, whose bodies were discovered in July. The third case involved Claudette Jones, a 66-year-old woman found stabbed to death inside her apartment in late August. Authorities revealed that Baptiste had been romantically involved with both female victims.
As police transported Baptiste into an ambulance, a crowd began to gather around the scene. Some individuals shouted at the officers, with one man, identified as Baptiste’s older brother, Johnny Jean-Baptiste, exclaiming, “He shot my brother. He killed my brother for nothing.” Video footage captured shows tensions escalating, with some people throwing objects at the police.
Johnny Jean-Baptiste expressed frustration over the shooting, stating that his brother did not have a gun and questioning why officers couldn’t handle the situation differently. “I want to see the body camera to see what really happened,” he told reporters. When asked about his brother’s suspected involvement in the murders, he responded, “Nobody’s perfect.”
The incident is under review, and the NYPD has yet to release body camera footage from the encounter.
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