NYPD Cop Shoots Man Holding His Mother in Headlock With Knife To Her Throat

 

Bronx, New York — A violent domestic incident in the Bronx turned deadly on Saturday, December 23, 2023, after police officers responded to an emergency call and encountered a man armed with a knife holding his mother hostage. The confrontation ended when an officer discharged his firearm, fatally striking the suspect and saving the woman’s life.

At approximately 11:22 a.m., Police Officer Morgese and his partner, Police Officer Mohammad Hossain, both assigned to the New York City Police Department, were dispatched to a residential building located near East 198th Street and Creston Avenue in the Bronx. A 911 caller reported that a man inside the building might have ingested drugs, was acting violently, and was in possession of a knife.

When the officers arrived, the situation immediately escalated. As they approached the apartment, a 19-year-old woman suddenly burst out of the doorway, screaming for help. Police quickly learned that she was the suspect’s girlfriend. She appeared to be bleeding and had visible slice wounds across her face, consistent with having been attacked with a sharp object. Officers immediately called for medical assistance while advancing toward the apartment to confront the assailant.

Inside, the officers encountered a chaotic and dangerous scene. The suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Michael Dotel, was holding his 45-year-old mother in a chokehold. Witnesses and officers reported that Dotel had wrapped one arm tightly around the woman’s neck, while his other hand gripped a large carving knife pressed against her throat. The woman was bleeding from visible injuries and appeared to be losing strength as she struggled to breathe.

The gravity of the situation forced officers to make a split-second decision. Despite repeated commands for Dotel to release his mother and drop the weapon, he refused to comply. As the woman began slipping into unconsciousness and her life hung in the balance, Officer Morgese made the critical decision to fire his service weapon.

A single gunshot was discharged, striking Dotel and forcing him to release his grip. The woman collapsed to the ground, freed from the chokehold, while officers quickly moved in to secure the scene and prevent further harm. Dotel fell to the floor, still clutching the knife, but officers were able to disarm him. Emergency medical services were immediately summoned.

Paramedics rushed Dotel to Saint Barnabas Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased. Officers also recovered the knife used in the assault at the scene, confirming that the man had been armed during the confrontation.

Both injured women — the girlfriend and the mother — were transported to the same hospital. The 19-year-old girlfriend was treated for facial lacerations believed to have been inflicted during an earlier altercation inside the apartment. The 45-year-old mother received treatment for cuts and bruises sustained during the attack, as well as injuries related to the chokehold. Hospital staff reported that both women were expected to survive.

The incident has since drawn attention to the dangers faced by officers responding to volatile domestic violence situations, particularly when drugs, weapons, and family members are involved. NYPD officials stated that the officers’ actions likely prevented the death of the mother, who was only moments away from serious or fatal injury.

Neighbors in the building later told reporters that they had heard screaming and banging before police arrived. Some expressed shock, noting that domestic disputes in the apartment had previously caused disturbances, but none had escalated to such extreme violence.

Investigators are now piecing together the events that led to the violent standoff. According to early reports, Dotel may have been under the influence of narcotics at the time of the assault, though toxicology results remain pending. Police records did not immediately indicate whether Dotel had a history of mental illness or prior criminal charges.

The NYPD has confirmed that the officer’s use of force is under standard review, as is customary in all police-involved shootings. A departmental spokesperson emphasized that officers face life-and-death decisions in moments when hostages are at immediate risk. “Our officers were confronted with a suspect actively trying to kill his mother. Their actions saved her life,” the spokesperson said.

As the investigation continues, both victims are recovering from the ordeal while the community grapples with the shocking violence that erupted inside what was supposed to be the safety of a family home.