78-Year-Old Man Shot Dead By Cops In His Bed-Stuy Home: NYPD

BED STUY, NY — An elderly man was shot dead by police in his Bed-Stuy apartment Thursday afternoon, the NYPD said.

The 78-year-old had a gun in his hand when he opened his front door to two cops at 330 Lewis Ave. about 1:15 p.m., said NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey.

"An elderly male lost his life today," Maddrey said. "It's very tough."

The cops had received a call from someone who said his elderly uncle's home might have been broken into, Maddrey said.

Body-cam footage shows that after the 78-year-old opened his door, he raised his gun, walked toward the officers and ignored their cries of "no," Maddrey said.

"He clearly charged at officers with his gun," Maddrey said. "We don't know why."

The officers pulled out their guns, opened fire, dropped to the ground and then conducted CPR, the Chief of Detectives said.

The 78-year-old died at an area hospital and the two cops, who suffered tinnitus, were also hospitalized, police said.

About six shots were fired, according to a worker at Lewis Deli on Hancock Street and local Kelly Sassy.

Sassy told Patch she saw police race toward the building and overheard one officer ask another officer for a gun, she said.

Later, Sassy watched as a person was pulled out on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance where medics conducted CPR, she said.

According to Sassy, the person never moved. "For this neighborhood," Sassy said, "it's a shocker."

Another man, who did not give him name to Patch, said the 78-year-old had lived in Bed-Stuy for years and was known in the neighborhood as "Dad."

The 78-year-old carried a gun because he's been robbed many times before, the man said.

"Everybody knows him," the man said. "He didn’t do nothing warranted to get shot."

The local said of the 78-year-old that he was a “good f---ing man.”

Jane Best has lived around the corner from the deli since 1997 and was terrified when she heard there had been a shooting nearby.

"It felt like my heart was in my shoe," Best said.

She feared for the deli workers she'd seen just that morning, and has since stopped by three times in hopes of giving them all a hug.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so glad they're okay," Best said. "That's my family in there."

Kathleen Culliton contributed to this report.