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New York City police released body-worn camera footage showing detectives shooting and killing Anthony Griffin after he stabbed three people at a Grand Central subway stop last month. The video was posted Friday to the department’s YouTube page, according to the footage release described by The Associated Press.
The clip shows officers confronting Griffin after what the department described as a random attack at the 42nd Street-Grand Central subway station, which connects to Grand Central Terminal. The video depicts the encounter beginning at a stairwell around 9:40 a.m. on April 11, after Griffin was seen holding a large knife.
In the footage, detectives identified as Ryan Giuffre and Anthony Manetta order Griffin to drop the weapon multiple times as he walks up the stairwell with the knife held near his head. The video shows Giuffre then drawing his gun when Griffin continued to hold the blade high, even as the officers continued to issue commands.
As Griffin retreats down the stairs, the video shows him moving back toward the officers with the knife still overhead when they begin to pursue him. In the recording, Giuffre tells Griffin, “Nobody wants to hurt you,” and says, “Get down. Get down. Dude, I’m not going to ask you again. Please. Please. Please. Get down!” The video also captures Griffin saying, “I don’t want to be here. Shoot me,” and, “I am Lucifer,” as the encounter continues.
The footage shows Giuffre firing two shots, after which Griffin drops to the ground. Police said Griffin was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the time of the incident that the officers ordered Griffin to drop the knife at least 20 times but he refused to comply. Tisch said officers were confronted with “an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat,” and she said they attempted to de-escalate before taking decisive action to protect people on “one of the busiest train platforms in the city.”
The three stabbing victims were an 84-year-old man, a 65-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman, Tisch said. She said the injuries included “significant lacerations to the head and face” and a skull fracture, and that the wounds were not considered life-threatening.