A 38-year old man was shot and killed by Vestal Police Department (VPD) officers on Wednesday.
According to the New York State Police and the state attorney general’s office, Eslam Ahmed Hegazy was experiencing a mental health crisis and threatening to harm himself with a knife.
“During the encounter, officers told Mr. Hegazy to drop the knife. At one point, a Taser was deployed at Mr. Hegazy. Mr. Hegazy allegedly still held the knife when two officers discharged their service weapons, striking him,” a statement from the attorney general’s office said.
Hegazy was transported to UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City but died of his injuries.
No police officers were injured.
The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has also opened an investigation. Since 2021, the office has been required under state law to investigate any incident in which a police officer or corrections officer has caused the death of a person.
Vestal Town Supervisor Maria Sexton said in a statement Friday that Vestal police are “professional, appropriate and are well practiced at de-escalation.”
“The bodycam footage, and details of the incident, will be released as soon as the Attorney General’s Office permits it,” Sexton said. “Once they see the facts, I am confident that our residents will understand that our officers acted appropriately.”
Funeral services for Hegazy were held Friday at the Islamic Organization of Southern Tier (IOST) Mosque. According to a release from IOST, Hegazy had lived in the area for 19 years and was a father of three.