Raoul Hardy, 60, was killed in a hail of around 100 bullets in New York on Saturday after he threatened to “blow up” the world and “change the government” by killing Hochul – and then opened fire on police. Neighbors said Hardy had become increasingly unstable since his mother’s death. “He was fine until three years ago when his mother died,” said a local resident who asked not to be named. “Now he’s saying the same s–t, crazy s–t, yelling. We hear it every day now. “I don’t want to think about it,” said the neighbor. “It’s sad.” Another neighbor, a 38-year-old mother, called the shooting “shocking. “His erratic behavior was becoming more frequent and I was worried about him,” she said. “I didn’t know who to turn to. I don’t know his family. NYPD at the scene where Raoul Hardy was fatally shot by officers on July 9, 2022. Paul Martinka Neighbors described Hardy as mentally ill and increasingly unresponsive over the past three years. Paul Martinka “At first he seemed like a pleasant person, but he didn’t go to work,” she said. “He’s been hanging out in the back of his garage and lately he’s been having episodes where he’s been swearing and talking to himself. He was definitely suffering from mental illness.” The woman called Saturday’s fatal shooting “intense. Hardy shot the officers after making several threatening calls to 911. “It was intense and the shooting didn’t stop,” he said. “My son was in his highchair when it started, and I picked him up and threw him to the ground. … It’s really heartbreaking. “He always waved and greeted me and my son when we came home. He helped the neighbors. It would help clean up the back yards.” Police said they responded to the Cambria Heights neighborhood around 6 p.m. after receiving several threatening 911 calls from Hardy. “He was clearly stating that he was going to blow the heads off the first officers he saw,” NYPD Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Munday said at a news conference. “A short time later, he made another call to 911 and essentially repeated the same thing.” Police said Hardy also threatened to kill Hochul during one of the rants. Officers swarmed the neighborhood and approached Hardy’s home with guns drawn, according to Maddrey. Hardy walked out of the 116th Avenue home refusing to show his hands or answer police, Madrey said — with the suspect then opening fire on officers. Hardy threatened to kill Governor Kathy Hotchul in one of his rants at the police. Paul Martinka Officers hold photos of the gun used by Hardy (right) and the man who was shot by police in Brooklyn on Saturday. Paul Martinka Six of the officers returned fire and hit Hardy, fatally wounding him, he said. Officers attempted to revive Hardy, to no avail. Law enforcement sources said Hardy had multiple busts in a domestic incident. The shooting came about an hour before police in Brooklyn shot and killed another man after he fled a traffic stop and opened fire on police.
