Man armed with knife shot and killed by Cambridge police, officials say

The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that happened in Cambridge Wednesday afternoon.

The man who was shot and killed by an officer has been identified as 20-year-old Cambridge resident Sayed Faisal.

The City of Cambridge said in a news release Wednesday evening that police got a call from a resident around 1:15 p.m. reporting that they had seen a man jump out of the window of a neighboring apartment and that the man was armed with a machete.

The caller said the man appeared to be cutting himself with both the knife, which was later identified as a kukri knife, and broken window glass, the City said. Dispatched paramedics and officers found Faisal bleeding in an alley behind a Sidney Street building.

Authorities’ preliminary investigation indicated that Faisal ran with the knife after seeing police, going several blocks in the Cambridgeport neighborhood, the city said. Officers then tried to talk with him on Chestnut Street and asked him to drop the knife.

Faisal allegedly then moved towards the officers while still holding the knife, the city said. An officer initially shot a “less-than-lethal” sponge round at Faisal, but was unsuccessful in stopping him, officials said.

Faisal allegedly continued to move towards officers while holding the knife, the city said. An officer then shot Faisal with a normal round.

Police officers provided medical assistance at the scene before Faisal was taken to a Massachusetts General Hospital, where he died, the city said.

Authorities are still in the early stages of their investigation, which is being led by the DA’s Office, the city said. Anyone with information or video of this incident is asked to contact the Cambridge Police Department.

In a joint statement, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Yi-An Huang said, “We are deeply saddened by the fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred today in Cambridge on January 4. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased.”

“The District Attorney’s Office will be conducting a thorough and transparent investigation with the full cooperation of the City and the Police Department. We will review all of the facts and findings as they become available and we are committed to learning from this case to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our community. This tragic loss of life impacts all of us across the City and we will issue information regarding a community meeting to process together early next week.”