N.Y. officer’s bullet-resistant vest saves him from being stabbed in chest during domestic violence call

As Suffolk County officers opened the front door, the suspect emerged with a large knife and lunged at an officer, “clearly attempting to kill him,” the police acting commissioner said

February 20, 2024 09:41 AM

By Evan Rosen
New York Daily News

SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — Suffolk police fatally shot a Bay Shore man who stabbed an officer responding to a domestic violence call on Saturday, officials said.

Police responded to the home on Udall Road in Bay Shore around 9:10 a.m. after a woman called and “stated that her husband was acting violent,” said Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Robert Waring.

As officers opened a screen door at the home’s front entrance, Taiquell Woodson, 33, emerged with a large knife and lunged at one of the officers, Waring said.

“The officer retreated and fell into the snow in the front yard,” Waring said. “Woodson jumped on top of him with the knife and he starts stabbing the officer, clearly attempting to kill him.”

The officer’s bullet-resistant vest saved him from being stabbed in the chest, officials said.

Another officer tried to use his Taser on Woodson, but was unsuccessful.

A third officer at the scene “fired his service weapon, striking Woodson and stopping the attack,” Waring said.

“This incident occurred in about five seconds,” the police commissioner said. “I want to be clear: This was a justified shooting.”

Officers gave Woodson CPR at the scene, and an ambulance rushed him to South Shore University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The stabbed officer was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was treated for wounds to his hands, arms and face. The injuries are not life-threatening, but the officer may suffer nerve damage to his hand, said James Vosswinkel, a Stony Brook trauma surgeon.

Woodson’s wife and 1-year-old child remained in the home and were uninjured in the incident.

The identity of the officer was not made public Saturday. Waring said the officer has been with the Suffolk County Police for a year and a half.

There is body cam video of the incident, but it will not be released “at this time,” Waring said. The shooting will be investigated by the state attorney general’s office.

Woodson’s criminal history includes an arrest for a robbery in Riverhead in October, Waring said.

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