On Wednesday morning Suffolk County police intervened in what could have been a fatal situation between a father and his mentally disabled son. Officers arrived at Eric Bohlsen's home in Deer Park at 10:30 a.m. when his father, Edward Bohlsen, called police saying his mentally disabled son was threatening to behead him. Police shot the younger Bohlsen when they were unable able to subdue him.
“When police arrived, they encountered a 40-year-old male outside the apartment armed with a knife,” Police Lieutenant Jack Fitzpatrick told CBS News. “A foot pursuit ensued through the apartment complex, ending up back within the apartment itself, where the 40-year-old male was shot once in the chest by police.”
Bohlsen, 40, was unruly during Suffolk police’s attempt to subdue him. At one point he lunged at officers. Before shooting Bohlsen, cops attempted to use a stun gun but when that attempt failed, that’s when police fired at the suspect. Following the shooting Bohlsen was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center where he underwent surgery. He is currently in stable condition.
Officers investigated the crime scene hours after the incident where Bohlsen threatened to behead his 79-year-old father. Bohlsen was arrested on two outstanding warrants and additional charges are currently pending. Neighbors were shocked by what happened. They never saw Bohlsen as somebody who would cause any trouble.
“He is a good kid,” one of his Deer Park neighbors told CBS. “He never bothers anybody. He just says hello. He’s mentally handicapped. He doesn’t know how to be bad.”
The investigation is continuing. Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
[Source: Suffolk County Police, CBS]