NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police fatally shot a man wielding a sharp object who barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room Thursday.
The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. at the NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Assistant Chief Charles Minch said.
Responding officers encountered a man armed with a sharp object in a blood-spattered room on the eighth floor of the hospital, which is located in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood.
Minch said the man had barricaded himself in the room with two others — an older adult patient and a hospital security worker — and threatened to harm himself and others.
For more than three minutes, officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the sharp object and open the door, but he refused, Minch said.
Officers deployed Tasers to try to subdue the man but were unsuccessful, he added. They then tried to kick the door open, but the man held it shut.
After a second Taser attempt also failed, Minch said, the man charged at the officers with the object, prompting them to open fire.
Minch did not identify the man other than to say he was admitted as a patient the previous day. The officers’ body cameras recorded the incident, he added.
“This situation could have turned out every differently” Minch said.
The department also posted a photo of a bloodied “self-made” weapon on social media.
Police said the security staffer was evaluated medically, but it was not clear what injuries the person may have sustained.
Police vehicles are parked outside NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Brooklyn, N.Y., after an officer shot a man wielding a sharp object inside. (AP Photo/David Caruso)
PHOENIX (AP) — Sarah Strong of UConn was named The Associated Press women’s basketball Player of the Year on Thursday after leading the Huskies to an undefeated season, setting the stage for a run to the Final Four.
Strong became just the fifth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2007), UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014), and USC's JuJu Watkins, who won it last year. The AP started giving out the award in 1995.
It's the 13th time that a Huskies player has won the award with Paige Bueckers being the last to do it before Strong in 2021.
Vanderbilt's Shea Ralph, who was a former UConn player and assistant coach, won the AP Coach of the Year award. They both accepted the awards in front of a full room that included the entire UConn team, which gave a standing ovation when both winners were announced.
“I’m so blessed because I totally got to this point in my life because of my teammates,” Strong said.
Strong received 25 votes from a national media panel that votes for the Top 25 each week. Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes garnered four votes and UCLA's Lauren Betts got the other two. Voting was completed before the NCAA Tournament began.
“Anybody that has watched us play would probably tell you that she's the heart and soul of our team,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “She elevates the play of everyone on our team."
He called Strong “the most low-key superstar you ever saw.”
“You don’t see that look in her eyes, you know, like, oh, my God, there’s always just, a calmness,” he said. “That’s the best way I can describe it. That allows her to just be free and fluid and play without worry. ”
Auriemma has coached some of the greatest in the game including Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi. Strong fits in with them.
“The great ones, the great ones all had it. I never saw (Taurasi) nervous,” he said. ‘You know that they came in as freshmen and you can tell by the look in their eyes, ’I can handle this. This is what I think. This is why I came here.' You know some may pretend, but you know deep down you’re not ready for that moment. She’s ready for that one."
Strong is averaging 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 1.6 blocks a game while helping UConn go 38-0. She's shooting 59.4% from the field, 40.4% from 3 and 84.8% from the the foul line while playing just 27 minutes a game.
The sensational sophomore raised her game when the Huskies faced Top 25 opponents, averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. She reached 1,000 career points in her 59th career game, the third-fastest player in school history to reach the milestone.
Strong was the Big East Player of the Year as well as the Most Outstanding Player of the Fort Worth Regional.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Associated Press deputy global sports editor Oscar Dixon, left, presents UConn's Sarah Strong with the 2026 AP Women's Player of the Year award during a news conference at the Women's Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
UConn forward Sarah Strong, front, and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo compete for a loose ball during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
FILE - UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) reacts during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Syracuse, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
FILE - UConn forward Sarah Strong drives against Notre Dame during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
FILE - UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Notre Dame, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
