By Emma Seiwell, Rocco Parascandola, Thomas Tracy
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — NYPD Emergency Service Unit cops shot and killed a man who said he wanted to die and attempted to stab them with a knife during a harrowing clash on the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge Friday, police officials said.
Cops were called to the bridge on a report of a man walking on the beams at about 3:30 a.m., officials said.
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Officers found the man walking on the bridge cables, quickly climbed up to him, and explained they were “there to help and tried to convince him to come safely down,” Assistant Chief Gerard Dowling, the commanding officer of ESU, told reporters at a press conference Friday morning.
“(Officers) observed that the male was holding a knife and he stated to them, ‘I want to die. I want you to kill me. I have a bomb. You’re not going to make me do something bad to the cops,’” Dowling said.
Officers spent nearly an hour trying to persuade the man to climb down to the roadway when he “quickly descended the cable” towards them, Dowling continued.
ESU officers, who were moving slowly because they were harnessed and clipped to the same cable the man was climbing down, attempted to back away from him but “were not able to move as quickly,” Dowling said.
“When the male got within approximately three feet from the closest member of ESU, he raised his arm with the knife extended outward towards the officer,” Dowling said. “At that point, a member of ESU who was on the roadbed discharged his weapon one time, striking the male.”
This is the knife recovered from the scene. pic.twitter.com/k08wkRq2RM
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 4, 2026
Officers brought the man down and began rendering aid before medics arrived and rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name was not immediately released.
Cops recovered the man’s knife and a flashlight that he dropped.
Police were investigating the man’s claims that he had a bomb, but would not say if any bomb materials were found on the man.
The NYPD closed the Brooklyn -bound side of the iconic bridge as they investigated.
“Due to ongoing police activity, avoid the vicinity of the Brooklyn -bound Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan,” the NYPD said on X. “Expect delays and use alternate routes.”
All lanes were reopened as of 8:30 a.m. , cops said.
Early-morning commuters saw a massive amount of police activity on the bridge following the incident.
“All Brooklyn bound lanes closed on the Brooklyn bridge. Helicopters and police boats since 3am for a “police operation”?” X user Gia wrote. “No one knows what’s going on?”
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