State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Council Member Tiffany Cabán have released a joint statement criticizing the NYPD for fatally shooting a knife-wielding man during an April encounter in Astoria, arguing that officers should have used more de-escalation tactics before firing 19 shots at a suspect experiencing a mental disorder.
King Wong, 60, was fatally shot by officers of the 114th Precinct following an incident near the intersection of 31st Street and 30th Avenue early on Monday, April 14. Officers had responded to multiple calls reporting a man acting erratically while wielding a knife in the area.
Body cam footage released by Attorney General Letitia James shows officers ordering Wong to drop the weapon on multiple occasions over a 56-second period before firing 19 shots at the suspect.
NYPD Chief of Department John Chell said at the time that officers always attempt to slow down and de-escalate situations “with the ultimate goal of getting the person the help they need.”
However, he added that officers are sometimes forced to defend themselves during “fast-moving and hectic situations.”
He noted that officers unsuccessfully deployed tasers before eventually firing their weapons, noting that Wong was wielding a 14-inch knife.
He also noted that Wong had two incidents of mental disorder with the NYPD.
However, Gonzalez and Cabán described Wong’s death as a “tragedy that should never have occurred” and accused officers of taking “no true attempts at de-escalation.” They said the incident was not an example of “true public safety.”
Gonzalez and Cabán added that the NYPD should have had professionals on-site who were trained in dealing with individuals suffering with a mental disorder.
“King Wong was our neighbor. He lived in Woodside Houses. He was a 60-year old man with a history of mental illness, holding a knife, visibly confused and struggling,” Gonzalez and Cában said in a joint statement. “The NYPD used lethal force and fired 19 shots at King Wong within 56 seconds of approaching him.
“There were no true attempts at de-escalation. There were no professionals on site who were adequately trained to work with people with serious mental illness.”
They further described the body cam footage as “deeply painful to watch” and argued that Wong had been failed by the city “far too many times” before the fatal April 14 encounter.
“The gaps in our mental health care infrastructure are a failure of governance,” Gonzalez and Cabán said, adding that Wong did not receive the care he needed after his parents died.
They additionally called on the city to provide resources for every New Yorker that allows them to thrive “from the cradle to the grave.”
“We must build a city where every New Yorker is housed, healthy, fed, and cared for. Where every New Yorker can call for help without fearing for their safety or their neighbors’ safety. That is true public safety,” elected officials said in a statement.
In response, the NYPD said it released body-worn camera footage on May 12, adding that cops received multiple calls informing them that Wong was going to hurt someone.
“There were numerous 911 calls for a man with a knife stating he was going to hurt someone,” the NYPD said in a statement. “Upon arrival, the individual was holding a large 14-inch knife, refused repeated commands to drop the knife during a 56-second dialogue with officers, and then advanced against officers. The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.”
