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A church safety guard who was stabbed after confronting a deranged knife-wielding man had been on the job simply three months when he had the bloody encounter, a good friend instructed The Post.
The doorways of First Presbyterian Church, on 164th Street in Jamaica, would usually be opened however as an alternative have been closed tight Saturday in wake of the incident, caretaker Delroy Witter mentioned.
“Trust me, if it might occur to my co-worker, it might occur to any certainly one of us,” Witter mentioned.
“I really feel unhealthy for him. He simply began right here.”
Cops have been referred to as to the home of worship round 3:40 p.m. Thursday after the guard went to analyze a criticism that there was a person with a knife performing erratically outdoors.
The guard approached, solely to be knifed in the torso, authorities mentioned.
The sufferer, who wasn’t publicly recognized, then retreated contained in the church.
“I went inside (the church) and I noticed him mendacity on the ground,” Witter mentioned.
“Someone was making use of stress to his wound. They had a towel on his abdomen.
“It was purple as a result of it was soaked in blood — he was bleeding a lot.”
Responding officers ordered the person, later recognized as Richard Moncrieffe, 59, to drop the knife — however when he didn’t, they shot him, officers mentioned.
“He was advancing on our officers and so they needed to make a troublesome determination,” the NYPD’s Chief of Patrol James Chell mentioned, crediting the guard with stopping extra bloodshed by stopping the person earlier than he obtained contained in the church’s packed administrative constructing.
Video seems to point out Moncrieffe charging cops with the knife in his hand, police mentioned.
Moncrieffe has a documented historical past with the NYPD of being an emotionally disturbed individual, police sources mentioned.
The guard was taken to Jamaica Hospital, as was Moncrieffe, who was charged with assault, menacing a police officer and prison possession of a weapon.
Both have been anticipated to outlive.
