A Bronx cop had no choice but to shoot a mallet-wielding burglar after two attempts to subdue him with pepper spray failed, police officials said yesterday.
Kevin Mathis, 46, discharged a fire extinguisher and lunged at cops with a metal mallet before he was wounded on East 139th Street in Mott Haven at around 9 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.
Cops from the 40th Precinct responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress and spotted Mathis – who has nine prior arrests, including assault and drug charges – rummaging through the back yard, holding the extinguisher, a metal plate and the mallet.
They ordered Mathis to drop the items, but he yelled gibberish at the officers, fired the extinguisher at them and headed toward the other end of the driveway, cops said.
Once again, the police demanded he stop. He dismissed them, prompting officers to douse him with pepper spray.
Mathis continued down the driveway toward the officers and got another face full of Mace, authorities said.
Nonetheless, he charged at the cops with the mallet in one hand and the plate in the other.
That’s when one of the officers, a nine-year veteran, fired two rounds, hitting Mathis once in each leg.
Mathis, who is listed in stable condition at Lincoln Hospital, is charged with assault, menacing, reckless endangerment, weapons possession and having stolen property.