Nassau police shoot knife-wielding man in the face in Westbury, commissioner says

A Nassau County police officer shot a 27-year-old Westbury man in the face Monday night after he was "acting irrationally, attempting to stab people with a knife," according to Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

Ryder held a media briefing Tuesday morning at police headquarters in Mineola following what he called "a long night in the New Cassel" area of Westbury.

Around 11 p.m., Ryder said police received a call regarding a man who was acting irrationally and attempting to stab people with a knife.

Ryder said a bureau of special operations team was responding to an unrelated call near a wooded area on Brush Hollw Road in the vicinity of 2nd Street when they saw a person matching the description of that 911 call and called for assistance.

As they approached the area, the man came running out from behind some bushes and smashed the passenger window with a knife, breaking the glass.

“They didn't get a chance to even get out of their car when he charged the vehicle and started smashing,” Ryder said.

The officer on that side of the vehicle turned as the knife came through the window, and he fired several shots at the man and missed.

The man then ran toward the rear of the vehicle. The officer in the driver's seat got out of the car, confronted the man at the rear of the car and fired once, striking him in the face.

According to a police press release, officers immediately began to render aid and provide lifesaving assistance to the man.

The man was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where doctors said he is recovering from the bullet that went through his cheek, according to Ryder. Police have spoken with him and he is in stable condition.

Ryder identified the man as Adrian Thompson. He said he lives with his parents, was previously a medical student at Columbia University, and had an interaction with police on April 13 related to mental health.

He described the man as a “well-educated individual, obviously going through some depression,” after speaking with his parents.

He faces two counts of menacing a police officer. Ryder said they are determining whether to file any upgraded charges after speaking with the Nassau district attorney’s office.

He will have a bedside arraignment at the hospital on Tuesday, according to police.

At the news conference Tuesday, two photos of the knife police recovered at the scene were shown on poster boards along with the man's mug shot.

Ryder said no one else was injured. He said the officers are "doing good” and commended them for their efforts.

“It's a tough day," he said. "No officer ever comes to want to fire that weapon, but they're going to do what they have to do to protect themselves and our communities. And this is the decision that gets made within a second."

Part of Brush Hollow Road was shut down until around 8 a.m. Tuesday for an active investigation but the road has since reopened.

Check back for updates on this developing story.