Man shot dead by police officers after stabbing three people

By Javohir Aminov, Assistant News Editor

On April 11 at 9:30 a.m., 44-year-old Anthony Griffin slashed three people on the Grand Central subway platform. Then before 10 a.m., he was shot and killed by police officers. He was shouting out “Lucifer” before the attack occurred, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Griffin boarded the seven train in Queens and arrived at the Grand Central platform. As soon as he got off the train, he started acting erratically then slashed an 84-year-old man, leaving him wounded with head and facial injuries. He then went upstairs to the four/five/six train platforms where he slashed a 65-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman, leaving one with an open skull fracture and the other with a wound to the shoulder.

Moments later, he was confronted by police officers who ordered him to drop the weapon numerous times. Yet, he still failed to comply and pursued them with the machete, causing them to fire at Griffin, ultimately killing him. All three victims sustained multiple injuries but none were lethal. All were immediately rushed to the hospital, where they received proper care.

Officers who were present during this altercation have been praised for their bravery and skills. “I’m grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated. Additionally, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she was “grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect. We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds.” 

There was no certain cause of this incident, and was deemed to be a random attack by police authorities. However, according to News 12, friends of the assailant stated that he had been struggling with his mental health. Deborah Brown reported that he only carried the machete for self-defense purposes and would never hurt anybody.

Fatima Brown, Griffin’s longtime partner, also stated that he’s been “fighting his demons for a while…Whatever happened, It wasn’t him. Physically? Maybe. Spiritually? No.” Many people are grief stricken after Griffin's death and his friends are shedding a positive light on his character, saying he didn’t deserve to die. They also demand that the body camera footage be released, which was answered by Mayor Mamdani saying that the NYPD is conducting an internal investigation and will soon release the footage.