In the wake of a tense Brooklyn traffic stop yesterday, NYPD officers fatally shot Jason Pass, a man wanted for the murder of two of his neighbors. Pass, 47, was confronted by police during a morning traffic stop in the Bath Beach neighborhood and was shot four times, with three bullets striking his chest.
Events Leading to the Confrontation
The fatal shooting concluded a three-day citywide search for Pass, the prime suspect in a brutal double homicide. The slain individuals, a man and his stepson, were gunned down at 1418 Brooklyn Avenue in Flatbush, an event that set off a rigorous investigation.
Authorities had been tracking Pass’s movements when they located his vehicle via a license plate check. NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey provided details at a press conference, saying, “They established dialogue, conversed for a few minutes, and that man lunged at one of the officers, causing the officers to shoot him for his own safety. A number of officers fired.”
Before the gunfire, officers attempted to negotiate with Pass for approximately 15 minutes while a hostage negotiation team was en route to the location. “He basically said what was going on today was not going to end well,” revealed John Chell, the NYPD’s patrol chief.
The Arrest Attempt and Shooting
Pass was discovered in his Honda CRV at Bay 44th Street and Harway Avenue when the police approached. A badge reader was instrumental in locating Pass, with Chell noting, “It captured the license plate on a black car indicating that the car and occupant were wanted for a gruesome double homicide.” As the situation escalated, Pass reportedly emerged from the car with a knife and charged the officers, which led to the shooting.
The investigation dates back to a noise complaint on a fateful Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. Security footage from the building captured a confrontation between Pass and his neighbors, Bladimy Mathurin, 47, and Chinwai Mode, 27. Mathurin, armed with scissors, approached Pass in the hallway, which quickly turned deadly as Pass fired at Mode and then Mathurin.
In a final act of violence, Pass shot Mathurin once more in the back as he lay in front of his apartment, fatally wounded. The wife and mother of the victims managed to escape the altercation without harm.
Investigation Continues
With the suspect now deceased, the NYPD was awaiting a search warrant to examine Pass’s vehicle to determine whether it contained the firearm used in the murders. The shooting has brought an end to a harrowing chapter for the community, but many questions remain as the investigation into the murders and the subsequent shooting of Pass continues.