Police said Adrian Thompson smashed a patrol vehicle’s window with a large knife before an officer shot and wounded him.
WESTBURY, N.Y. — A 27-year-old Westbury man pleaded not guilty to two counts of menacing a police officer after Nassau County police said he charged an occupied patrol vehicle with a large knife and was shot by an officer late Monday.
Adrian Thompson remained hospitalized Wednesday after being shot in the face during the confrontation near Brush Hollow Road and Sixth Street. He was arraigned from his hospital bed, remanded and scheduled to return to court Thursday, according to reports citing police and court proceedings. Authorities said he was expected to survive.
The encounter began after police received calls about a man acting erratically and threatening to stab people. Police said separate emergency calls included a report of an assault involving a gun and later reports of an armed man frightening people in the area. Officers located someone matching the description near a wooded section of the neighborhood shortly before 11 p.m. Monday.
Police said Thompson emerged from bushes as an unmarked police vehicle approached. He was carrying what authorities described as an approximately 13-inch knife and struck the passenger-side window while an officer was seated inside, according to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.
The officer in the passenger seat fired twice from inside the vehicle but did not strike Thompson, police said. Thompson then moved toward the rear of the vehicle, where the officer who had been driving got out and fired once. The shot struck Thompson in the face.
Thompson was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment. Police said the bullet entered one side of his jaw and exited the other. The two officers involved in the encounter also went to a hospital and were treated for trauma. No physical injuries to the officers were reported.
Investigators recovered a large knife at the scene, police said. The two menacing counts are allegations, and Thompson has not been convicted. Authorities said additional charges were being considered, but no other charges had been publicly confirmed as of Wednesday morning.
Police said their only previous reported encounter with Thompson occurred in April, when officers responded to a call concerning erratic behavior and possible inhalant use. Ryder said Thompson’s parents described their son as experiencing depression. The family’s account and any possible role of drugs in Monday’s encounter have not been established as investigative findings.
Officials also said Thompson previously attended Columbia University’s medical school. Public reports did not establish when he left the school or his current academic status. That background is not part of the criminal allegations now before the court.
The police shooting remains under investigation. Authorities had not announced whether body-camera or other video would be released, and the names of the officers involved had not been made public. Thompson’s next scheduled court appearance was set for Thursday.
Author note: Last updated August 5, 2026.