Man with shotgun wanted to deliver papers to UN, police say; charges are pending
By Liam Reilly, CNN
The man who stood outside the United Nations with a shotgun held to his head has been taken into custody and transported to a hospital, New York Police Department First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Tucker said police responded to 911 calls for a man with a gun outside the UN at 10:40 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found a man with a bag holding a loaded shotgun under his chin. After securing a safe perimeter and evacuating civilians, the NYPD’s Officer Matthew Librizzi of the Emergency Services Unit made contact with the man. Officer Librizzi, the deputy commissioner said, talked with the individual throughout the entire two-hour incident.
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“He had some papers he wanted delivered to the UN,” Tucker said. “The dialogue went back and forth about how we might be able to accommodate his request and bring the incident to a peaceful conclusion.”
Ultimately, Tucker said the ESU was able to deliver the man’s papers to the UN. He then put down his shotgun and was taken into custody at about 1:40 p.m. He was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
“In tracing his route to the UN, investigators determined he walked from (the Millennium Hotel) on 44th Street, which he checked into yesterday,” Tucker said. “Detectives also learned there was a pickup truck connected to the individual parked outside the hotel.”
Tucker said the bomb squad has swept the hotel, the man’s hotel room, and the truck — and that there are no outstanding threats connected to any of those items.
The deputy commissioner added that the Detective Bureau’s investigation is ongoing and that he could not confirm the nature of the documents given to the UN. He added that the man, originally from Florida, doesn’t have a criminal record or criminal history anywhere in the United States.
Charges have not yet been filed and are still pending, Tucker said.
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CNN’s Tanika Gray contributed to this report.
