NYPD Officer Shoots Shoplifting Suspect at Harlem Whole Foods

A New York City police officer shot a shoplifting suspect at a Whole Foods store in Harlem just around 8:30 p.m., the New York Daily News reports.

It all started when a security guard chased a man into a bathroom who was suspected of shoplifting.

“Something happened first. I saw when the guy went to the back and the security guard tried to grab him. He had something in his hand waving around,” witness Noel Abreu, 25, told the Daily News. “He wasn’t in the right state of mind. He has mental problems.”

When officers arrived on the scene, the man allegedly took out a knife and started waving it around. After several commands to drop the knife, one of the officers shot the 28-year-old suspect. He was struck once in the shoulder and is expected to live.

The officers were taken to a nearby hospital for observation.

Neighbors were surprised that a shooting would take place at such an expensive store. The Harlem Whole Foods opened last summer and is located on 125th Street, the main street in the historic New York City neighborhood.