Man Shot Dead After Charging Officers With a Knife

A routine domestic disturbance complaint call led to the killing of a man when he refused to comply with the responding police officers.

In a building only blocks away from the 49th Precinct, at 1545 Rhinelander Avenue between Eastchester Road and Stillwell Avenue, a 48-year-old man was gunned down after threatening police officers with a weapon.

On Sunday, March 20 at approximately 11:20 p.m., two police officers responded to the building after 36-year-old Sandy Perez called 911 to report he was being attacked with a knife by his roommate Paul Goldreyer.

A total of six officers arrived to the fifth floor apartment and Perez, who was fighting off his roommate with a bar stool, was removed from the apartment. The 48-year-old Goldreyer, who refused to obey police orders to drop the six-inch steak knife, continued toward the officers with the weapon, officials said.

Several tenants heard police officers repeatedly yelling at Goldreyer to put down the knife, followed by three gun shots. Two unnamed officers fired a total of three shots at Goldreyer, who was hit in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene. The officers involved in the shooting were taken to Jacobi Medical Center for observation, but were released.

“I heard someone screaming to get him to put the knife down,” one neighbor said. “Not too long after that, shots rang out.”

Goldreyer was one of the newer tenants of the building, having only lived there for a few weeks, was known to act strangely towards others, neighbors said.

Goldreyer, who has a history of mental illness, also has a lengthy criminal history, with over a dozen arrests that include drug possession, plice source stated.

Perez told police that Goldreyer had accused him of sleeping with a female friend of his and that they had only been roommates for less than a month. No other information was released.

There were several disturbances coming from Perez and Goldreyer’s apartment up to three days before the incident, neighbors said.

“Some people said they heard noises for a few days, but this is just shocking,” said another tenant, who asked to remain unnamed. “You come outside and see police cars it’s just unbelievable.”

Captain Kevin Nicholson of the 49th Precinct also visited the scene.

“It’s just a tragedy, honestly,” said Nicholson about Goldreyer. “The 49th Precinct really feels for the family of this man.”