By Ivan Pereira and Stephen Stirling
Chaos broke out inside the 109th Precinct Thursday morning when officers opened fire at a knife-wielding man who attacked a civilian outside the Flushing station house, police said.
The incident took place shortly after 11 a.m. when Armando Torres, 38, of Northern Boulevard, approached an unidentified man who was standing outside the precinct, located at 37-05 Union St., and stabbed him in the back and slashed his left arm, police said. Torres, who has a prior police record for assaulting a police officer, then entered the station and lunged at an officer at the front desk, according to authorities.
Two 109th detectives and an officer retaliated by firing five shots, two of which struck Torres’s left arm and chest, police said. Both he and the stabbing victim were taken to New York Hospital Queens. Authorities said Torres was in critical but stable condition, while the victim’s condition and identity remained unknown.
Authorities said two officers were also taken to the hospital, but it remained unclear if this was precautionary or if they had been injured.
The victim was waiting at the station for an accident report, police said. It was not known where Torres was coming from or why he allegedly assaulted the man, according to police. The investigation was ongoing.
The precinct was shut down while the police conducted their investigation.
Outside of Torres’ home Thursday, neighbor Florencia Serrano, who has known the 38-year-old since he moved to the United States from El Salvador eight years ago, said she was shocked at news of the incident.
“Oh, my god, I don’t believe it,” Serrano said.
Serrano said Torres, who lives on the fifth floor, was known to have a drinking problem but “he never caused any problems here.”
Torres’ apartment building played a role in another major crime in Flushing.
In January the Queens district attorney said 41 year-old David Williams, who also lived in Torres’ apartment building, allegedly stabbed 78-year-old John Purcell, his 71-year-old wife Joan and 41-year-old Juhn Fook repeatedly with a large serrated knife next door at 147-15 Northern Blvd. before assaulting another man and eventually scuffling with police officers near the location.
John Purcell died of his injuries days later, and Williams is currently awaiting trial on second-degree murder charges.
