Two Bystanders Wounded in Police Shooting on Busy Manhattan Street

NEW YORK (AP) —

Two police officers who fired on a man acting erratically and dodging cars on a busy Manhattan street Saturday night wounded two bystanders and sent people running for cover.

Police said the man made movements suggesting he had a weapon, though he turned out to be unarmed. The officers’ shots missed him, and he was eventually brought down by a stun gun.

Glenn Broadnax, 35, of Brooklyn, faces multiple counts including menacing, riot, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and resisting arrest. The encounter happened just before 10 p.m. a block away from Times Square.

“It appeared he wanted to be struck by cars,” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

As officers approached, Broadnax reached into his pocket as if grabbing a weapon, and two officers fired a total of three shots. The bullets struck two women.

The chaotic scene evoked an August 2012 incident, when nine people were injured from police bullets during a confrontation with a gunman near the Empire State Building. Officials at the time defended the cops’ decision to fire on a crowded street.

NYPD statistics show officers are firing their weapons less, down from 42 in 2012 to 27 in 2013. Saturday’s shooting was the first time officers have struck bystanders this year.

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