Suspect Shot and Killed While Stabbing Officer
By Hank Russell
New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced that her Office of Special Investigation (OSI) is reviewing a case involving the death of a Bay Shore man who was shot and killed by Suffolk County police after stabbing another officer multiple times.
At a press conference at Stony Brook University Hospital on February 17 — where the injured officer was treated — Suffolk County Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring said they were “still gathering information about [the] incident.”
According to Waring, on February 17 at 9:10 a.m., police responded to a 911 call at 1138 Udall Road in Bay Shore from a woman who said “her husband was acting violently.” When police arrived at the house and one of the officers opened up the door, Taiquell Woodson, 33, the caller’s husband, ran towards the officers with “a large knife.”
“The officer retreated and fell into the snow in the front yard,” Waring explained. Woodson then jumped on top of the officer and repeatedly stabbed him with a knife “in an attempt to kill him,” Waring said. The officer suffered multiple stab wounds on his right arm.
Woodson then attempted to stab the officer in the chest, but the knife could not penetrate the officer’s bulletproof vest, Waring said. A second officer deployed his Taser, “but was unsuccessful.” However, a third officer shot Woodson in order to stop the continued attack on the wounded officer.
The two officers applied a tourniquet to their fellow officer, while first responders who arrived on the scene tended to Woodson, according to Waring. Woodson was transported to South Shore University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The wounded officer was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, later to Stony Brook University Hospital. The two other officers were also transported to Stony Brook for observation. Since then, all three officers have been discharged.
Dr. James Vosswinkel of Stony Brook Hospital, who operated on the officer, said the officer was “very, very fortunate” to be alive. Despite the ability to save the officer’s life, Vosswinkel expressed concern about “some of the injuries being complex” and that the injuries may result in “nerve damage to his dominant hand … but, we’re very fortunate that he’s alive and, overall, these wounds were not life-threatening.”
“Law enforcement is a dangerous profession, and our officers put their lives on the line every day,” Waring said. “This incident happened in five seconds. I want to be clear: this was a justified shooting.”
Like this incident, OSI reviews every police-involved shooting that is reported to them, pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b. In a statement, the OSI said it “assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.”
Waring said he will cooperate with the OSI in its investigation.
Long Island Life & Politics called SCPD’s public information office for additional information and was referred to the AG’s office. LILP reached out to the AG’s office multiple times for more information about the investigation, but has not heard back as of press time.
Without mentioning the pending investigation, Suffolk PBA President Lou Civiello praised the officers at the scene for their “swift actions,” adding, “I just want to thank God that we are not here mourning the loss of one of our own.”