Police Shoot and Kill Black Man Holding Metal Object in Crown Heights, NYPD Says

Police shot and killed a black man holding a metal object believed to be a gun in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Wednesday afternoon.

Terence Monahan, the NYPD Chief of Department, said three different 911 callers reported seeing a man in a brown jacket waving what they described as "a silver firearm" near the intersection of Utica Avenue and Montgomery Street.

Four officers arrived at the scene at just before 5 p.m. They fired ten rounds after the man spun around and held the metal object in a "two-handed shooting stance," according to Monahan.

After opening fire, responding officers found the object wasn't a gun after all, but a "pipe with some sort of a knob on the end of it," Monahan said.

The man has been identified as 34-year-old Saheed Vassell. Vassell was taken to Kings County Hospital after the incident, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Soon after the shooting, police officers and crowds of angry residents swarmed the intersection, according to multiple videos posted on Facebook.

According to local residents, Vassell was well-known in the neighborhood and appeared to be mentally ill.

"He don't bother nobody at all," said Sandy, who declined to give her last name. She said Vassell helped her carry groceries and did odd jobs for other neighbors.

Vassell's death comes amid a national outcry after repeated shootings of unarmed black men by police officers across the country.

After this latest shooting, some residents in Crown Heights are on edge.

"I'm afraid for my life," said Desmond, who declined to give his last name. "Any time I see [police] I get nervous. I'm driving down the street and I see them behind me I get scared." He added, "All they see is black."

This is a developing story. Check for updates.