A massive, fiery explosion at a house in Queens sent several New York City police officers flying through the air early Thursday morning as they responded to a call about a man inside armed with a knife and a smell of gas. The incident occurred just before 3 a.m. in a quiet residential neighborhood.
Officers injured in the blast
Eight officers were treated for minor injuries, including burns and at least one head laceration. All individuals who were inside the building have been accounted for, though several were taken to a hospital, police confirmed. The officers were fortunate to escape with relatively minor injuries given the force of the explosion.
Body camera footage captures explosion
Police body camera video of the explosion shows officers about to enter a small home in Queens. As one officer starts to open the door, a huge blast erupts, blowing out windows and knocking officers back across a yard and into a gate. The officers can be seen scrambling to recover through debris as smoke billows out of the house, checking on each other to see if anyone had been hurt. “You guys good?” one of the officers can be heard saying.
The video then cuts to about a minute later and shows an officer helping two young children out of the home as a handful of other people come staggering out of the house. The scene was chaotic, with debris scattered across the yard and neighboring homes damaged.
Police chief: 'We got very lucky'
Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh of the New York Police Department said at a news briefing hours later, “I want to be clear: We got very lucky today. This could have turned out really differently.” He added, “Thankfully, today, luck was on their side,” referring to the officers.
Suspect remains unaccounted for
McIntosh explained that the man who prompted the initial call arrived at the home intoxicated and carrying a knife and two garbage bags filled with canisters containing an “unknown substance.” He pushed in an air conditioning unit to get into a basement apartment where his wife, daughter and two grandchildren live. They were eventually able to flee from the building, and officers arrived shortly after that. The man remains unaccounted for, McIntosh said.
Building collapse and damage
The home collapsed after the explosion, authorities said. Neighboring homes were also damaged, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the explosion. The area was cordoned off as emergency crews worked to ensure safety.
