A 29-year-old man with a samurai sword who was tased by NYPD officers died following the encounter, according to police.
The police department said George Zapantis, 29, “engaged” officers with the sword in his hands after cops responded to Zapantis' apartment on 150th Street in Queens on Sunday night. Officers told Zapantis to drop his sword but he didn't, according to the NYPD.
That's when officers deployed their department-issued taser, but it wasn't immediately clear how many times Zapantis was hit.
Zapantis was subdued by officers and then he appeared to suffer a medical issue, police said. He was transported to NY-Presbyterian Queens where he was pronounced dead. The Post first reported the incident.
The Post reported that Zapantis' family lawyer said the 29-year-old had mental health issues and may have resisted arrest but he was unarmed when he was being handcuffed.
