By Patrick Donachie
A Springfield Gardens man was shot and killed by NYPD officers after he allegedly attacked his mother with a screwdriver in the home where they both lived early Saturday morning, according to police.
Police identified the man as Jahlire Nicholson, 28, who lived at home in Springfield Gardens near the corner of Westgate and Thurston Streets.
Police responded to a 911 call about a woman screaming at the residence at about 3 a.m., Chief of Patrol Terence A. Monahan said. The New York Post reported the screaming woman was Jarzette Jacobs, 55, and the victim was Nicholson’s mother. Officers responded to the home and heard the sound of a woman screaming in the rear, Monahan said.
The officers entered the home to find Nicholson allegedly holding his mother, threatening her with a screwdriver. The two were standing in a small stairwell that led to the rear basement apartment, police said.
“Officers ordered the suspect to drop the weapon. The suspect refused,” Monahan said at a press conference after the incident. “The officers attempted to disarm the suspect and were able to free the female during the struggle.”
As the police were freeing the woman from Nicholson, Monahan said the officers tried to use a Taser on him, but the Taser needles missed. Monahan said Nicholson continued to struggle with the officers while still holding onto the screwdriver.
As they continued to fight, two officers fired their weapons, with one round each hitting Nicholson. After he was shot, Nicholson was transported to Jamaica Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The officers involved in the incident were not injured.
The Post reported Nicholson had a criminal history, with 10 prior arrests including assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
The shooting death of Nicholson marks the fourth police-involved shooting this year in New York City and the first of the year for Queens. The 113th Precinct, which covers South Jamaica, St. Albans, Hollis and Springfield Gardens, has seen a 27.8 percent decrease in crime this year compared to last.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona
