Boston Police Fatally Shoot Man With Knife During Mental Health Crisis on Brighton's Selkirk Road; Suffolk DA Opens Investigation

Boston police shot and killed a man armed with a large knife who officials said was experiencing a mental health crisis outside a home on Selkirk Road in Brighton on Friday morning, and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office has opened an investigation into the shooting, according to officials and local news reports.

Officers were called to Selkirk Road, near Cleveland Circle, around 7 a.m. for a report of a man with a knife who was threatening to harm himself, Police Commissioner Michael Cox said at an afternoon news conference, WBUR reported. Boston 25 News reported that the call brought officers, other law enforcement officials and emergency medical crews to the area outside 24 Selkirk Road.

According to Cox, officers engaged with the man for about 20 minutes and tried to de-escalate the situation. CBS Boston reported that Cox said the man refused to drop the knife. Cox said that at some point the man "no longer presented a threat to himself" and instead charged at officers with the knife, WBUR reported.

"This was outside. He charged the officers outside on the porch area," Cox said, according to Boston 25 News. The commissioner said the officers "retreated as much as they could until they couldn't." One officer fired, striking the man once in the stomach area, according to the accounts given by Cox and reported by the three outlets.

Officers and EMS personnel immediately gave aid, and the man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Boston 25 News reported. Police told the station shortly after 2 p.m. that he had died. Officials have not released his name.

CBS Boston reported that another person was inside the home during the incident and was brought out safely by officers. Two officers involved were taken to a hospital for evaluation. Cox said officers did not suffer stab wounds, WBUR reported, and Boston 25 News quoted him as saying the officers were not "heavily injured."

The officer who fired has not been identified. Cox said he is a male officer who has been on the force for "little over two years," according to WBUR. CBS Boston reported that Cox said other officers at the scene had Tasers but that it was not yet clear whether the officer who fired had one.

District Attorney Kevin Hayden said his office will conduct a "complete and thorough investigation," WBUR reported. Boston 25 News reported that Hayden said the review will include officer body-camera video. "These situations are always fluid, and they're never easy," Hayden said, according to the station. He spoke before the man's death was announced and said he was "optimistic and prayerful" that the man and the officers would recover.

Mayor Michelle Wu issued a statement. "My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the individual who lost his life," Wu said, according to Boston 25 News and CBS Boston. "Our first responders and police officers regularly face difficult and dangerous situations. We are grateful for their service and thinking of the officers who were impacted by today's events." She said she appreciated Hayden and Cox "for their work to ensure a thorough investigation."

The Boston police union also issued a statement. "We commend our officers swift response and efforts to de-escalate an incredibly dangerous and highly hostile situation that ultimately resulted in an officer having to discharge his firearm," the union said, according to CBS Boston.

The area was taped off for hours while investigators worked. Boston 25 News reported seeing multiple emergency vehicles, a K9 team and detectives gathering evidence on the residential street.

The account of the confrontation so far comes from the police commissioner. Body-camera footage has not been released, and the district attorney's review is the formal process for determining whether the use of deadly force was legally justified. Officials did not say how long the investigation would take.

The shooting came at the start of a busy Halloween weekend in Boston, with more than 100 streets permitted for car-free celebrations and much of the Green Line closed for signal work. As of the latest reports reviewed for this article, officials had not released the man's name or the officer's.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis in Massachusetts can call or text 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or the state's Behavioral Health Help Line at 833-773-2445, which operates around the clock.