New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) has made subway safety a priority for his administration. In February 2022, the month after Adams took office, the former police officer launched a “Subway Safety” plan. The plan included more police officers cracking down on those not paying their fair share. The New York subway has a single-ride cost of $2.90, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

On Sunday, the dramatic scene unfolded just after 3 p.m. at the Sutter Avenue elevated L train stop in Brooklyn, Maddrey said.

Two officers saw a man stand by the fare gate for a few seconds before walking through without paying, Maddrey said. Officers followed the man up three flights of stairs to the elevated train line, asking him to stop.

At one point, Maddrey said, the man allegedly muttered a warning: “I’m going to kill you if you don’t stop following.”

The two officers caught up to the man and asked him to take his hands out of his pockets. The officers then “become aware” the man had a knife, Maddrey said. The man ignored multiple commands from the officers, Maddrey said, telling them: “No, you’re going to have to shoot me.”

As the three stood on the platform, a northbound train pulled up. The man hopped in. On the train, Maddrey said, the man continued to ignore orders to drop the knife.

Both officers tried to use a Taser on the man, Maddrey said, but “the Taser was ineffective.”

The man jumped back onto the platform and started approaching one of the officers with his knife, Maddrey said. Both officers fired their guns.

As they handcuffed the man, one of the officers realized he had been shot and was bleeding from his chest. The bullet struck under the officer’s left armpit, missing his vest and lodging in his back, Maddrey said.

Two bystanders, a man and a woman, were also shot by police. The woman was grazed by a bullet, Maddrey said, and the man was struck in the head.

An NYPD spokesman said Monday the department was not releasing any update about the statuses of the four people who were shot.

When asked Sunday by reporters about the injuries being from friendly fire, Maddrey said: “I don’t like to use that term ‘friendly fire,’ but absolutely, we believe at this time that our officers were the only ones who discharged weapons at this time. I don’t know if that’ll change. So everyone that was struck this afternoon —we believe was by our officers.”

Maddrey said the suspect, who has not yet been publicly named, has been arrested more than 20 times and has a history of mental illness.

“Thank God our officers are okay and clearly they averted an even greater tragedy with a person with over 20 arrests, a real career criminal,” Adams said.

Maddrey said detectives with the department’s Force Investigation Division will investigate the shooting.