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New York: Chilling body-worn camera footage has been released by the New York Police Department (NYPD), showing the moment officers fatally shot a machete-wielding man at Grand Central Station after he slashed three bystanders in a random attack. The incident is claimed to have occurred last month, with the video capturing the tense, minutes-long confrontation on a busy subway platform before detectives opened fire.

The suspect, identified as Anthony Griffin (44), was killed on April 11 after he began attacking commuters on the 4, 5, 6 subway platform at around 9.40 am. The incident forced an evacuation and temporary shutdown of the subway station connected to the main terminal. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the time that Griffin had been “behaving erratically, repeatedly stating that he was Lucifer.”

According to the NYPD, Anthony first slashed 3 civilians with a large machete, causing serious injuries, before encountering Detectives Ryan Giuffre and Anthony Manetta. An 85-year-old man, a 70-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man sustained “significant lacerations to the head and face”, and one suffered a skull fracture. However, none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

Cops' Repeated Warnings Captured On Video

The released footage, taken from Detectives Giuffre and Manetta, begins with Anthony walking up a stairwell from the platform towards the officers while waving the machete above his head. “Put it down,” Detective Manetta is heard shouting. Detective Giuffre tells him to “put down the f_*_ing knife,” as the accused appears to smirk.

Despite repeated commands, Griffin continued to advance slowly up the stairs, prompting both detectives to draw their weapons. “Nobody wants to shoot you, drop the knife,” Giuffre says calmly. Griffin then retreated back down towards the platform, where a startled bystander fled after spotting the weapon. 

On the platform, the standoff continued, with Giuffre heard saying, “Listen, get on the ground please… get on the f_**ing ground. No one wants to hurt you. We can talk about it. Get down. I’m not going to ask you again….we are going to get you help.” After Anthony Griffin shouted something inaudible and moved towards Giuffre with the blade facing outward, the detective fired twice. Griffin fell, dropping the machete, and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Family In Disbelief Over Attack

Commissioner Tisch praised the detectives, saying they “gave clear commands, attempted to de-escalate and when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city.” The NYPD confirmed that prior to the shooting, the accused had attacked 3 civilian victims with the machete, causing serious physical injuries.

Meanwhile, Anthony Griffin’s family has expressed shock, saying that the man in the video was unrecognisable to them. “Him going around stabbing somebody and trying to kill people? That’s not my nephew,” his aunt Regina Baker stated, adding, “He was a giving, caring person. He loved people. He would sit with people and he would just talk to them about life. That’s why I can’t believe this.” His friends also said that they were “clueless” about what led to the attack.

Police records show the accused had previous arrests for grand larceny and criminal trespassing, but no documented history of violence or mental health incidents. His family had called for the release of the bodycam footage to help them understand what happened.