NYPD: Off-duty officer kills man who pointed 'realistic' imitation firearm on Staten Island

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STATEN ISLAND, NY - A man was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in the Great Kills section of Staten Island on Friday night after he allegedly pointed an imitation firearm at two officers. The deadly shooting occurred at around 8:02 p.m. on August 15, following a 911 call reporting a man with a gun behind Andrew's Diner on Hylan Boulevard.

What we know:

According to NYPD Assistant Chief Melissa Eger, the man left the diner and was later spotted by two off-duty officers on William Avenue. The officers gave the man multiple verbal commands to drop the firearm, but he did not comply and instead pointed it at them. One officer then discharged their weapon, striking the man while he was holding the gun. NYPD confirmed the weapon recovered at the scene was an imitation firearm.

Imitation firearm recovered from Staten Island shooting (Photo: Crime Stoppers)

The man, a 44-year-old with seven prior arrests, was taken to Staten Island University North Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending family notification.

The incident is currently under investigation by the NYPD Force Investigation Division. Police officials held up a photo of the recovered weapon during a press briefing to speak about the incident.

The man's intention with the imitation firearm remains unclear, and his prior arrests included charges of larceny and drugs. This was the second police-involved shooting this week, with officers also shooting and wounding an armed man in Brooklyn on August 12.