New York City, NY: During a “violent struggle,” members of a joint NYPD-federal task force shot and killed an assault suspect with a gun in a Manhattan eyeglass shop on Tuesday.
Officers shot the suspect at least three times around 2:45 p.m. after he flashed a gun inside Maximeyes Optical in Chelsea, according to sources. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said this during a press conference.
Allen was wanted for an assault earlier this month. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but Kenny said he had already died.
Before they saw the suspect standing outside the shop, Kenny said, an NYPD lieutenant, an NYPD detective, and a Homeland Security investigator were looking all around the area.
“The male then fled into this commercial establishment that he was standing in front of. While inside the store, members of the task force attempted to place him under arrest and a violent struggle ensued,” Kenny said.
“The male produced a gun and members of the task force discharged their weapons several times, striking the male.”
One member of the task force got a cut on the head during the fight and was taken to a nearby hospital for care, Kenny said. Police said they found a 40-caliber Bersa gun that the suspect was reportedly carrying at the scene.
There were searches going on for Allen because police say he hit a store worker with a jelly jar during a fight on April 7. Records show that he was in jail in upstate New York from 2018 to 2020 for trying to kill someone.
