Chicago police sergeant is nearly killed by knife-wielding man before back-up officers shoot the assailant dead (videos)

A Chicago police sergeant narrowly escaped death last month when a man charged at him with a large knife, according to body-camera footage released by the city on Wednesday morning.

Backup officers shot and killed the man, 47-year-old Alfonso Wright, who police believe was responsible for murdering a neighbor before the officers arrived.

The police responded to reports of a man threatening residents with a knife at an assisted living facility in the 1400 block of East 75th Street around 2:23 a.m. on May 5.

The officers went to Wright’s unit and attempted to de-escalate the situation, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA). In the newly released videos, Wright could be heard yelling loudly for several minutes before officers used a key to open his apartment door.

As the door opened, Wright rushed across the room toward the officers, brandishing a knife. A sergeant deployed his Taser in an attempt to subdue Wright.

“Get down! Get down!” the sergeant repeatedly ordered. “Don’t make me do it again. Get down! Get down!”

Wright then charged at the sergeant, raising a large butcher knife overhead and plunging it toward the officer.

“Get him! Get him! Get him!” the sergeant shouted as the blade narrowly missed him.

Two officers positioned outside the unit shot and killed Wright.

Hours after the shooting, police discovered 58-year-old Keith Harding stabbed to death in an apartment on the fifth floor of the building, the same floor where Wright confronted the officers. CPD investigators believe Wright was responsible for Harding’s death.

Here is a clip from one officer’s body camera. It is not graphic, but it does show the shooting and may be disturbing for some readers.

The following clip is from the sergeant’s body camera. It is a little more graphic, showing Wright as he falls to the floor upon being shot. Again, discretion is advised.

You can see the full videos, which are graphic, as well as additional videos, reports, and other materials released by COPA on Wednesday at this link.

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