Police shot and killed a man early Sunday morning when he reached for his gun after being chased by a team of officers in Queens, the NYPD said.
The shooting occurred after officers had cornered the man, later identified by his family as 32-year-old George Tillman, of Maryland.
Two officers on patrol in an unmarked vehicle spotted Tillman next to a double-parked SUV at about 1:30 a.m. on 135th Street in South Ozone Park. He had an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage, according to police.
When the officers approached, they noticed Tillman had a gun in his waistband, investigators said. He then fled on foot and the officers gave chase.
A photo of the weapon recovered at the scene of the officer involved shooting in Queens. pic.twitter.com/p7TTljD1Hj
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 17, 2016
The officers shouted warnings at Tillman as they chased him down a darkened 135th Street.
As Tillman and the officers approached the corner of 116th Avenue, a second unmarked NYPD vehicle showed up with three more officers, according to police.
When Tillman was confronted by the five officers, he reached for the gun in his waistband, police said.
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That’s when four of the officers fired on him, striking him several times in the torso as he stood in the street.
Tillman was taken to Jamaica Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The officers were not injured, but were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
The shooting happened in a predominantly residential block that was still cordoned off with police tape Sunday morning.
Investigators said a .40-caliber Hi-Point firearm found at the scene belonged to Tillman.
Tillman's family said he was visiting from Maryland and has a wife and five children. His wife was apparently with him at the time he was confronted by police, the family said.
