WESTBURY, Long Island (WABC) — A man in his 20s was shot in the face by police on Monday night after authorities say he was acting irrationally with a knife and threatening to stab people.
Adrian Thompson, 27, is charged with two counts of menacing a police officer and other charges are still being determined.
Police said Tuesday that he is a medical student at Columbia University and is well-educated, but his parents said he is suffering from depression.
His parents also said he may have been using drugs or sniffing glue.
Police responded to a call around 10 p.m. for a man acting irrationally with a large knife and threatening to stab people.
Authorities say that person ran up to the officers’ vehicle from the bushes and smashed the passenger-side window with a large knife.
The officer sitting in the passenger side fired two shots, but missed both times.
When the man with the knife ran to the back of the police vehicle, he was confronted by a second officer who fired one shot, striking the man in the face.
Police say the bullet went in one side of his jaw and out the other side.
Thompson was taken to Nassau University Medical Center where he is recovering.
Both police officers were taken to the hospital to be treated for trauma.
Thompson had a previous incident on April 13 where he was allegedly acting irrationally and possibly sniffing glue.
Investigators say they recovered a knife at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing.
27-Year-Old Man With Knife Shot In Face by Police In Westbury
