NEW ROCHELLE, NY — An emotionally disturbed man brandishing a knife, later identified by police as Emanuel Goodman, terrorized pedestrians this morning in downtown New Rochelle.
At about 8:21 a.m., New Rochelle police responded to multiple calls of a man screaming and yelling while brandishing a knife in front of the Chase Bank branch at 270 North Avenue. Moments later calls came in that the man was heading north along North Avenue towards the New Rochelle Transit center, yelling and screaming, still brandishing a knife.
Goodman then turned in the other direction, south on North Avenue, past 270 North Avenue, across Huguenot Street towards 230 North Avenue where a religious group was handing out leaflets.
Goodman knocked over a podium sent up the religious group sending leaflets scattering across the sidewalk and into the street.
As terrified pedestrians looked on, the man stood in front of the CSV store at 222 North Avenue, stabbing in the air with the knife.
The first New Rochelle police officer on scene pulled his patrol car directly into the curb, facing Goodman. The officer exited the patrol car, draw a weapon, either a taser gun or his service weapon, pointed it at Goodman and ordered him to drop the knife. Goodman complied.
The officer then handcuffed Goodman, guided him back to his patrol car, leaned him against the vehicle and searched him as Goodman again began screaming.
Goodman was taken to the Emergency Room at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital and will be taken from there to the psychiatric unit at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital.
Talk of the Sound video shows an NRPD officer taking Goodman into custody then placing him in vehicle as Goodman shouts “where are we going”. An officer tries to calm Goodman, telling him he is being taken to a hospital. Pollice are scene canvassing the area for witnesses, two of whom describe how Goodman waved a knife around as he walked down the sidewalk.