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An armed suspect wearing tactical gear emerged from a Queens home after a fire Saturday as New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers responded to a 911 call of shots fired and a man yelling, “kill them, kill them.”
Keegan Thompson, 33, was shot by police and taken into custody following the explosion, according to NYPD Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh. Authorities later found two family members dead inside the home.
Police responded just after 12:00 p.m. to a home on Ocean Crest Boulevard in Far Rockaway after a caller reported her husband was armed, McIntosh said.
When police arrived, they met a woman outside the home who said she heard gunshots, entered the room and found a body lying on the bed before leaving the home and calling 911. She also warned police that her husband had a gun, officials said.
TWO POLICE SHOT, ALLEGED ‘SHOOT THE POLICE’ IN SYRACUSE IN THE LAST HOURS: REPORT
Family members and neighbors gathered around an FDNY ambulance as emergency responders investigated a shooting, explosion and police-involved shooting at a home in the Far Rockaway borough of Queens, NY, on Saturday. (Peter Gerber)
Police established a perimeter, called for the NYPD Emergency Service Unit (ESU) and made several attempts to contact the suspect, but were unable to make contact.
At about 12:15 p.m., as ESU officers were preparing to enter, a loud explosion went off inside the home, McIntosh said.
After 15 to 20 seconds, the suspect emerged from the burning house holding a gun and wearing a vest with other letters written on it.
Police ordered the suspect repeatedly to raise his hands and drop the weapon, police said. When he failed and continued to hold the gun, the policeman shot and hit him.
He was taken into custody by police before being taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he is in a critical but stable condition.
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McIntosh said Thompson has no criminal record or mental illness record recorded by the NYPD.
Police later found two family members dead in the house. The victims have not been identified, and investigators are working to determine the cause of their deaths.
As the fire engulfed the house, the police threatened to come out of the neighboring houses to protect the nearby residents.
Investigators were not sure what caused the explosion. Asked if fireworks were involved, McIntosh said the investigation is still ongoing.
FILE – The NYPD said the incident is still under investigation and has not yet identified the two victims who were found dead in the home. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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The shooting was captured on police cameras and is being investigated by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.
“The courage of the officers who responded today cannot be overstated,” McIntosh said. “They answered the 911 call not knowing what to expect, and they ran away from the danger without hesitation.”
