Barricaded suspect shot, killed by NYPD attempting to question him in unsolved shooting
LOWER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A barricaded suspect was fatally shot in a Lower East Side apartment by police attempting to question him in an unsolved shooting at a bar on the Upper East Side that happened in October.
Officers tracked the man down to an apartment on Eldridge Street just before noon, using physical and electronic surveillance.
"We were actively trying to locate him since we had the probable cause established," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. "So, you know, he had many locations that he was kind of couch surfing and going to different locations."
After officers knocked on the door to the apartment, two women opened the door. Officers became aware the suspect, identified as 43-year-old Kent Edwards, was barricaded in the bathroom with a 9 mm firearm.
Officers established contact with Edwards, had several conversations and then deployed a rolling camera, which the suspect rendered useless.
The officers then sent in a drone, which Edwards swatted it out of the air with a broom, according to police.
Finally, officers used a rolling robot with a camera, known as an Avatar, while officers followed behind it while holding shields.
Authorities say the suspect then got out of the bathroom and fired four shots at officers, striking one of them in the ballistic shield he was protecting himself with and another officer in their bulletproof vest. It's not clear if the vest was directly hit or the result of a bullet that ricocheted.
"Three bullets inside of bunkers, which could have easily been three bullets inside our officers," NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.
Officers then returned fire, and struck Edwards.
"One shot went off and then like a barrage of other shots went off right after that, and we saw kind when they took the gentleman out," witness Noel Muñoz said.
Edwards was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
One neighbor told Eyewitness News reporter Sonia Rincon he didn't realize anything was going on until the shots were fired. That neighbor said he heard maybe four shots.
"We heard fireworks. At least that's how it sounded," neighbor Thomas Harrell said. "After that we just were told to stay in, so we made sure to stay out of the way."
Police say Edwards was a convicted rapist with 11 prior arrests dating back to 1995. This time, he was wanted for a shooting outside Iggy's Bar on the Upper East Side back on October 18.
A 32-year-old man was shot in the leg and pistol-whipped after a bar fight on Second Avenue at East 76th Street.
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