Det O’Donnell attempted to intervene but was struck across the face.
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The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Akram Joudeh, was reportedly angry over a parking boot he found on his auto which he lives in, and witnesses say he tried to smash it off his vehicle with a hammer for over an hour. He went to tackle the suspect.
Joudeh slashed him in the head with the cleaver in the struggle as a group of armed officers closed in on the suspect.
As Joudeh ran along West 32nd Street, Det O’Donnell tried to stop him.
Three uniformed NYPD officers fired a total of 18 gunshots at Joudeh, striking him several times. Fortunately, he was released from the hospital on Friday. An off-duty detective in civilian clothes suffered a 6 inch gash after being struck in the head by the cleaver.
“He has a cleaver in his hand and you could clearly see it and he is waving it around”, Chief James O’Neill said.
Witness Cory Melton said he was at the corner of 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue checking his phone when he heard shots ring out.
The NYPD didn’t state the motive behind Thursday’s attack as the investigation is still ongoing.
When officers approached him, officials said Akram Joudeh pulled out a meat cleaver from his waistband.
Two other officers chasing the suspect were also injured during the altercation, police said.
The man turned and ran one city block, Mr Schneier said, and then jumped on top of a NYPD vehicle.
O’Donnell has spent most of his time on the force in the 19th Precinct, and became a detective in March 2015.
“I want to commend them on their bravery”, Police Commissioner William Bratton said of the officers involved. Bratton said the wounded detective was in good spirits despite the “significant injury”.
The shooting happened around 5 p.m. about a block from Madison Square Garden.
It all started when Akram Joudeh, a 32-year-old man thought to be living in his vehicle, flew into a rage after discovering a wheel lock had been placed on his illegally parked white Nissan sedan. Most recently, he was arrested for being in possession of a weapon near a synagogue.
Joudeh was later shot by other officers.
Initially, she said, she thought it was a auto crash or even a terrorist attack.
A federal official told NBC News it doesn’t appear Joudeh had terroristic motivations.
“I think he did a great service to the people of this city and his bravery is incredible”, Detectives Endowment Association President Michael Palladino said of O’Donnell.
Attempts to locate any relatives Joudeh might have in NY were not immediately successful. But they did not find any evidence of any radicalization.
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The police gave chase shortly after 5pm NY time (10pm last night Irish time) in response to alleged criminal mischief, police said, refusing to rule out terrorism as a possibility.
