NYPD Releases Body Camera Footage of Fatal Police Shooting of Man Inside Hospital
What to Know
- The NYPD body-cam footage shows officers repeatedly commanding Lynch to drop his weapon during a four-minute standoff inside a Brooklyn hospital.
- Lynch, a former NYPD officer and FDNY lieutenant, was armed with a shard of porcelain and took hostages, including an elderly man and security guard.
- Officers fired multiple shots after Lynch extended his arm with the weapon, and he was tasered several times before being taken into custody.
NEW YORK -- The NYPD released body-cam footage Thursday that shows the fatal police shooting of a former cop and FDNY lieutenant armed with a shard of porcelain following a tense standoff inside a Brooklyn hospital.
Michael Lynch, 62, went to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Brooklyn Methodist in Park Slope earlier this month with his wife, hoping to diagnose pressure in his head and tingling in his hands, his spouse told the Daily News.
On Jan. 7, the following day, Lynch barricaded himself in an eighth-floor room at the hospital, cutting himself and taking an elderly man and a hospital security guard hostage, police said.
After a minuteslong standoff in which Lynch refused “dozens” of commands to drop his improvised weapon, along with repeated efforts by cops to push into the room, officers shot and killed Lynch, police said.
The video released on YouTube identifies the officers who fired on Lynch as Jason Liu and Brandon Bradley, both of whom are assigned to the 78th Precinct.
Liu joined the force in 2020 and Bradley earned his badge the following year. Neither officer has a history of disciplinary action, according to their online NYPD profiles. The shooting is currently under investigation by the New York State attorney general’s office.
The video begins with the initial 911 call from hospital staff.
“I have a patient who’s suicidal,” said the caller. “He’s actually hurting himself now. I need police here immediately.”
When the 911 dispatcher asked the caller if the man is armed, she says, “He has a knife on him.”
The video then cuts to footage recorded by a body camera worn by Officer Bradley, which shows himself and Officer Liu repeatedly ordering Lynch to drop his weapon while at gunpoint.
“If you move forward I’m going to shoot. Drop it,” Bradley can be heard saying in the recording.
Lynch, who is initially hiding behind a semi-closed door to the hospital room, at one point steps into the hallway outside, leading Liu to fire one shot with his service weapon and another officer to fire his stun gun at the patient, the video shows.
The attack causes Lynch, who is seen wearing gray sweatpants covered in blood, to retreat back into the room.
The ensuing standoff lasts for approximately four minutes, with the video showing officers repeatedly ordering Lynch to drop his weapon, while kicking the door to the room open as Lynch attempts to shove it closed.
At one point, Bradley tells Liu to back away from the door, to which the officer responds, “I have someone inside,” referring to the security guard trapped with Lynch.
The standoff ends when Lynch extends his left arm toward Bradley with the weapon in his hand, causing the officer to fire his service weapon once and Liu to fire two shots.
A wounded Lynch then falls to the ground, but refuses to give up his weapon and cops tasered him another three times before taking him into custody, a caption in the video states.
“Drop it so we can help you,” one officer can be heard yelling to Lynch.
The head of the city’s largest police union praised the officers.
“These videos clearly show the dangerous and chaotic situation that confronted these police officers,” said Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry. “They acted quickly and professionally to address a potentially deadly threat to hospital patients and staff. Any investigation into this incident must recognize that reality.”
An attorney for Lynch’s family said he had reviewed the body-cam footage and criticized both police and hospital staff for not doing more to de-escalate the conflict.
“They shot him and killed him,” said Ken Montgomery. “They didn’t de-escalate someone who is going through a crisis. Training tells you to de-escalate. Yelling does not deescalate. I think they need better training.”
Lynch had a lifelong career in public service, serving as an NYPD officer until the 1990s, when he was accepted into the FDNY, his family said. He rose to the rank of lieutenant, worked on the Sept. 11, 2001, recovery effort, and ultimately retired in 2008.
“My father was an honorable, caring family man, loved by everyone he knew. Losing him is impossible to comprehend. He went to a place of healing, seeking help, and never came home. It’s devastating beyond words,” said his daughter, Dr. Bionqua Lynch Johnson.
He had no history of mental illness, according to his wife, Dolores Lynch.
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