By Police1 Staff
NEW YORK — A man wielding a hatchet charged four rookie NYPD officers and critically wounded one of them before being shot to death Thursday afternoon.
NBC New York reports the recent police academy graduates were posing for a picture with a freelance photographer when a man charged them from behind.
One officer was struck in the right arm. Another officer was struck in the head – resulting in a critical wound.
Two other officers who were not wounded then opened fire on the suspect, killing him. A female bystander was struck by a stray bullet, and was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Officials have not identified the suspect. The officer struck in the head is undergoing surgery at a hospital in the area.
“It was a completely unprovoked attack,” said department spokeswoman Kim Royster, the New York Daily News reported.