A 32-year-old Syracuse man is behind bars after police say he charged at city police officers with a knife night. Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler held a news conference Wednesday morning. TWC News' Gabrielle Lucivero was there and has the latest details on the incident.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- It started with concerned family members.
"The call came in as a person who was threatening to commit suicide," said Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler.
But as officers responded to the Ivy Ridge Road apartment, the situation with 32-year-old Jeffrey Kelley quickly took a turn for the worse.
"What the officers responding to the scene have learned is the fact that they have an intoxicated individual that is clearly unstable that is clearly armed,” said Fowler.
As the officers secured the apartment, Fowler says Kelley then charged out his front door at the officers with a knife. One officer fired a shotgun bean bag, while the other shot Kelley in the hand with his handgun.
"It plays out in our mind's eye over and over again as to what the situations may be that would force us to use these weapons that we carry," said Fowler. "Mr. Kelley's action left those officers with no choice but to take actions of their own."
Fowler says that the situation at this apartment building wasn't really anything out of the ordinary for his officers, but noted that it's rare they actually have to discharge their weapons.
"It's not so unique where you would have an unstable person with a weapon and actually threatening,” Fowler said. "But at the end, they're able to negotiate with the person, bring them into custody with minimal or no force being used at all."
Fowler says Kelley sustained minor injuries and he is being held in the Onondaga County Jail. Fowler says Kelley has only been charged with criminal possession of a weapon as of right now, but additional charges could follow.