Westbury shooting is 6th in five years involving Long Island police

A Nassau County police officer shot a Westbury man in the face Monday evening after the assailant allegedly smashed through the window of the officer’s police vehicle with a large knife.

The shooting marked at least the sixth involving police on Long Island in the past five years. Here are others within that time, as reported by Newsday:

Hempstead Police Department:

March 18, 2023 — Patrick Alexis, then 31, of Hempstead, was tased and shot by Hempstead Village police after he chased officers with a knife. The officers responded to a call reporting a violent man at a Washington Street apartment when they encountered Alexis, who allegedly said he was armed with a knife and a firearm and was willing to shoot them. Alexis survived and sued the village, but the case was dropped after he died, according to court documents.

Nassau County Police Department:

Feb. 2, 2024 — Nassau police responded to a call regarding a suicidal man in Massapequa. After arriving at the scene, police said they encountered David Clements, 19, standing outside his home, pointing a pair of handguns at his head. After ignoring officers’ orders to drop the weapons, Clements retreated into his home, only to return with another gun with a flashlight, according to the police. After he allegedly charged at police, one officer shot and killed him. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation, which investigates all fatal police interactions, determined a "a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s actions were justified under New York law." No charges were filed against the officers.

Sept. 20, 2024 — After he allegedly fled an NYPD traffic stop in Queens, Nassau police pursued Jeremy Bennett, 37, in Massapequa. The police said Bennett rammed into multiple police and civilian vehicles, sending eight people to hospitals with minor injuries. He came to a stop on Sunrise Highway. After ordering Bennett to show officers his hands, two of them fired multiple rounds into the vehicle. He died in a hospital the following day. The shooting remains under investigation by the state attorney general’s office. Footage from body-worn cameras used by all responding officers during the shooting has been released to the public.

Suffolk County Police Department:

May 20, 2021 — A Suffolk police officer found Jesse J. Bonsignore, 44, who was homeless, asleep in the backseat of a parked car in Manorville. The officer knocked on the window, waking Bonsignore, who began screaming, exited the vehicle and threatened to kill the officer, according to the police. During a struggle on the ground, police said Bonsignore tried reaching for a folding knife on his waistband before reaching for the officer’s holstered gun. The officer unholstered the gun in an attempt to keep it away from the man. After Bonsignore grabbed his gun-wielding wrist, the officer fired the weapon, killing him. The attorney general’s office announced the shooting was justified and the officer would not face any charges.

Dec. 28, 2022 — Enrique Lopez, 56, of Medford, was shot and killed after he stabbed a pair of Suffolk police officers, nearly killing one of them. The two officers had responded to a call at Blue Ridge Condominium Complex regarding a man wielding a fire extinguisher and menacing others. Lopez lunged at officers with what then-Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison called a "Rambo knife." One officer shot Lopez four times, killing him. The attorney general’s office did not pursue charges against the officer.

Southampton Town Police Department:

May 10, 2026 — Southampton Town Police officers responded to a 911 call from a woman reporting that her son was intoxicated and behaving violently. She called a second time to report he threatened her with a knife. When officers arrived, they shot and killed Steven Eastwood, 27, of Northampton as he stabbed and slashed his mother 40 times. The shooting, which occurred on Mother’s Day, remains under investigation by James’ office.