The incident, which took place on April 11th around 9:40 a.m., unfolded after the suspect randomly stabbed three people at a key point in New York's transportation system. The video, shared on the department's official YouTube channel, identifies Detectives Ryan Giuffre and Anthony Manetta as the officers who confronted Anthony Griffin, 44 years old. The footage shows the officers encountering Griffin as he ascended a staircase wielding a large knife.
Despite repeated orders to drop the weapon, the suspect maintained a defiant and erratic attitude, even descending the stairs to advance directly towards the officers with the blade raised. During the tense exchange, Detective Giuffre attempted to de-escalate the situation through dialogue, as heard in the recording: "Nobody wants to hurt you," the officer assures.
However, Griffin ignored the warnings and uttered unsettling phrases such as "I don't want to be here. Shoot me" and the chilling statement "I am Lucifer". Faced with the attacker's imminent advance, Giuffre fired two shots that immediately neutralized Griffin. Although quickly transported to a hospital, the man was pronounced dead shortly after. According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the officers had ordered the suspect to drop the machete at least 20 times before opening fire.
Griffin's prior attack left three injured: two men aged 84 and 65, and a 70-year-old woman. The victims sustained "significant cuts to the head and face," with one of them suffering a skull fracture, although fortunately, their lives are not in danger. Tisch defended the police action, stating that "our officers faced an armed individual who had already injured several people and continued to pose a threat." The commissioner emphasized that after unsuccessful attempts to calm the situation, the detectives "took decisive action to stop it and protect New Yorkers at one of the city's busiest train stations."