An investigation continues in Midtown after police say a knife-wielding man was shot and killed by officers Wednesday morning at the corner of 49th Street and Eighth Avenue.
"I heard six gunshots, and as I heard the first gunshot I ran to my window," said one witness. "It was shocking. It was 8:30 a.m. People are rushing around to work."
Police say the incident started inside the Food Emporium with a 46-year-old man trying to buy beer.
Later identified as Garry Conrad, Jr., police say he got aggressive and belligerent with the cashier.
That's when workers alerted a uniformed officer outside.
"And he confronted the male," said NYPD Chief of Department James O'Neill. "The subject began to struggle with the officer and they fell to the ground outside the store. As the suspect got back to his feet he displayed an 8 inch knife and approached the officers."
Police say officers ordered Conrad to drop the knife but he did not, so one officer and a sergeant opened fire, killing him.
"Then the guy, lying on the ground, blood pouring out of his head, they tried to cuff him," the witness said. "Realizing he was dead, they stopped trying to cuff him. And the police officer who shot him, he was crying, physically traumatized, almost crashed down to the ground."
Police say a woman, also 46, who did not know the suspect, was grazed on the wrist by a bullet.
She and an officer, who was also injured, were taken to the hospital.
Eighth Avenue and 49th Street were shut down into the afternoon.
Several people showed NY1 pictures of the suspect, face down and cuffed, angry police would do that.
Officers tell NY1 that is standard department procedure.